Everything Forbidden In the Law
by animechick132
Summary: A 17-year-old girl is on the brink of becoming homeless, until an amber-eyed child and certain predicament changes her destiny. Just when her life begins to take a turn for the better, she starts to fall for the man who took her in. Things can't get any worse, right? She finds out that he's her new teacher at her school.
1. Guardian Angel

**"Guardian Angel"**

* * *

Chaotic was the word that described a person who was in a disorderly state because of complete confusion that they were experiencing. Lost, stranded, and confused. That person being described was me, Kinomoto Sakura. All morning, I had been searching for a job, but it appeared as though not a single soul wanted to acknowledge my existence. It was like I had been cursed by all the gods to cause people to reject my existence because of my hideous appearance—or just my existence in itself.

To be abandoned in such a cruel world was almost unforgivable. How could any god allow an innocent girl to be abandoned in a world like this? There was not a single crime that I had committed to deserve this punishment.

People often ask the question, 'why do bad things happen to innocent people?' There had never been an answer to that dreadful question though, because there was no right answer to it. Bad things happened to innocent people because they were just meant to happen. There was no 'why' or 'how' because they were just meant to happen, as cruel as it sounded.

Thinking about those questions caused the back of my eyes to burn a little. I wasn't as innocent as my attempt to portray myself to be though, so who was I to say what I deserved?

Innocent girls didn't stand outside in front of a strip club, preparing to corrupt their own innocence. I had hardly kissed a guy before and here I was, willing to strip out of my clothes for one. This punishment that had been placed upon me was well-deserved.

Despite the inner turmoil taking place in my head, I still pushed the door to the back entrance of the strip club opened, determined to do this and walked in slowly.

There had to be something I could do to make a living, even if it was this. There was no way that I could run out of luck with this, even though 17-year-olds weren't allowed to be here. As long as a man was involved, it wouldn't be hard to convince him to allow me to do this to myself. I was never one to assume this, but after seeing and hearing so many things, it was almost hard not to believe it.

It took time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness the room possessed while walking further in, slowly. Before running into someone, I stopped in my tracks, realizing what I was getting ready to corrupt.

This couldn't be as bad as most people said it was. I mean, it was the only option that presented itself to me, so that made this right, right? People did this all the time because they had to, not because they wanted to, so this had to be okay for me to do it.

Looking around the dark room, I spotted crimson-red lights in the other rooms and the music was a bit loud, blocking the outside world out. Taking one last glance back at the door made me realize that the place could possibly be closed, considering it was in the afternoon. Strip clubs weren't opened in the day time, assumingly, but the manager had to be there since the back doors were unlocked.

I walked further down the halls, until bumping into a beautiful, tall woman with blonde hair that flowed gracefully down her back in waves, with ocean blue eyes. Her face was packed with makeup, so it was hard to tell how she truly looked. The make-up she had on made her appear very beautiful though. I could feel a blush spread across my entire face when my eyes moved down to her body. She had on close to nothing and her body was beyond beautiful. She had on a black and red, lacy bra and thong that matched. Her skin was slightly tanned and her body appeared glistened by the little light that was presented in the place. My eyes moved down to her feet and almost teared at the black stilettos that she had on her feet because of how painful they looked to wear. They complimented how beautiful and long her legs were though.

"This is no place for a child, sweetheart. How did you get in here?" the beautiful woman asked, looking me up and down.

My mouth opened, ready to defend myself, but nothing came out. Instead, shame washed over me, seeing how beautiful this woman was. It was stupid of me to think I could do something like this. Strippers were supposed to be beautiful and graceful. I was the complete opposite of these kinds of people, so how could I think that I have an opportunity here?

Tears welled in my eyes and my mouth closed after a few seconds of silence passed between us. There was nothing that could be said between the two of us, so I turned around and bolted towards the exit, tears streaming down my face. My legs never stopped, nor did the tears, rolling down my cheeks.

It was insane to even believe that I had almost allowed myself to do such a horrid thing. My father would be so disappointed if he saw me right now. He raised a better daughter than this—not a girl who would even think to throw away all her morals.

Eyes snapping opened, looking around, I noticed that I was in the middle of Tokyo, lost. That was the least of my problems though. The last day to pay rent for my brother's apartment was due tomorrow and I didn't have any great amount of money to give the landlord to stay there any longer.

More hot tears rolled down my cheeks and I couldn't stop the sobs from escaping my mouth this time. I was going to be a homeless person in less than 24 hours.

A tug on my baggy pants snapped me out of it and my sobbing came to a halt. I looked down at the thing that pulled on my baggy pants. Except that thing wasn't a thing. It was a little boy.

He was blurry, considering the tears that were still present in my eyes. Sniffing, I wiped my eyes with the back of my fists to clear my vision. Giving him one of my best smiles, I stooped down to his size, "Are you lost, honey?" I asked gently.

He shook his head and suddenly jumped in my arms, causing me to fall to the ground. I was taken by surprise to feel the little boy hugging me tightly, to the point where I could barely breathe.

"Daddy says that hugging always makes a person feel better," he muffled in my top.

There was nothing to be said, so I did the logical thing, hugged him back.

His grip tightened and I could no longer feel the hot tears rolling down my cheeks. I couldn't even remember why I had started crying anymore. The only thing that occupied my mind was the little boy in my arms.

My cheeks warmed while pulling him closer to me, enjoying the warmth that he brought to my heart.

"Are you better, Miss?"

He kept his hold on me and I smiled, nodding my head.

That wasn't a lie, because I didn't even want to release him yet. There was still the small voice in the back of my head telling me that he could disappear and everything else in the world would matter again. With my luck, that was accurately possible. What made me even happier was the fact that he seemed to know that too. So, there we stood, in the middle of Tokyo, embracing each other like there wasn't anything else in the world that existed. It was only a few minutes that passed until he let me go, to my disappointment.

I looked at him and smiled. "Thank you so much, sweetie."

I kissed his cheek lightly and he blushed. A giggle escaped my mouth at his bashful reaction and it was at that moment when I noticed how adorable he was. He had a head full of disheveled hair that hung loosely over his head, and the color was chestnut. He had a beautiful shade of amber eyes. He was one of the most adorable little kid I had ever seen.

I ruffled his hair gently and he pouted, which caused me to smile. "Where is this kind father of yours that you mentioned earlier? I should thank him for his great advice about giving hugs," I said jokingly to him. It was sad to know that I had depart from him, but he needed to get back to his parents before they began to worry. I wanted to snatch him up and run away and keep him for myself, but thought better of it. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to force him into this mess that I call life.

"He's inside the big building here," he pointed to the huge building across from us that I hadn't even noticed. "He's in a meeting with some very special kind of people."

There was no way that it could be normal for people in Tokyo to leave their kids all alone in the city. He couldn't be any older than four-years-old.

"Why are you all out here alone then?" I decided to ask, instead of bashing his father. There had to be an explanation for it.

"Well, I'm not supposed to be…" he said sheepishly, while looking down to the ground guiltily.

I giggled to myself at his adorableness. "You can't just run off on your own, sweetie. You could get hurt."

"I know, but I just needed to escape from Mrs. Tachibana. She's so mean and I _loathe_ being around her."

I couldn't stop the laugh that erupted this time. Did the kid really use the word 'loathe?' I really needed to meet the parents of him.

"Well, you shouldn't sneak off from adults. They'll be worried sick about you. Promise me you'll never do anything like this again."

I held out my pinky for him to take. He seemed to think about it for a while before linking his pinky with mine.

"Okay, I promise. But only because you're a very pretty lady though."

My cheeks began to warm at the compliment from the little boy. I smiled. "Shall we take you inside then?"

He shook his head. "No, let's play out here for a while."

"How about we let Mrs. Tachibana know that you are safe, and then we can play inside."

He seemed to be in deep thought again and I found myself laughing again, seeing his concentrated face.

"You have to promise me that you will stay with me first."

Taking another glance at the building, I realized that I couldn't make that promise with him. The building was very luxurious and I looked…very homely. There was a possibility that I could be sent away, so I couldn't get his hopes up.

"How about this, if I can stay and play with you, then I promise I will stay."

He held up his pinky again to me and smiled. "Deal."

We linked pinkies before I stood up from the ground. He held his hand up for me to take, which I gladly did. Immediately, he took off running towards the building, pulling me with him.

I giggled, trying to keep up with him. "Slow down buddy, we are in no rush."

"We do or Daddy's going to get out of his meeting thingy."

The doors automatically opened and he dragged me inside with him.

I was laughing at his frantic behavior when looking up to see another beautiful, tall woman. Were women here sent on Earth specifically from Heaven?

She had jet-black hair that reached her bum and light-blue eyes. She had the figure of a model, wearing that nice, professionally fitted suit. It was tan and she had on high heels that looked comfortable enough to walk in. I almost envied the beauty that radiated off her, but I couldn't help but admire it as well.

"There you are, you little brat! You know better than to run off like that on your own! You don't want me telling your father again, do you?"

I almost glared at her, but thought better of it. She acted nothing like she looked. I would never dream of being her in all my days.

She turned to me, giving me a disgusted look. "And who the hell is this?" I felt so little and out of place with the way she looked and spoke to me.

"I was just lea—"

"You shouldn't say bad words like that! She is my new girlfriend, so get out of our way. We've come to play in the building."

I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. I didn't even know that I had become his girlfriend so fast. I held back the giggle, not caring about how mean the lady was being anymore.

"Listen, brat—"

"I just found him outside of the building, so I was bringing him back inside."

He looked at me and frowned. "What happened to the promise?"

I felt guilty and I stooped to his height, resting my hands on his shoulders gently. "We can always play another time." I smiled at him sadly, knowing he would never see me again once I left the building.

"You're lying and Daddy said that it's not nice to lie!"

I stood up and turned to Mrs. Tachibana with a sad smile.

"He's a little brat that thinks he can get what he wants. He believes that everything is revolved around him, so you don't have to feel obligated to stay here, honey."

"Actually, I was wondering if it would be okay if I stayed here with him for a little while until his father's meeting ended. I would like to thank his dad properly for something that he did."

It wasn't a lie. I really did want to meet the father of this kid.

"If you stay here, you guys will have to go on another floor. Mr. Li would not appreciate his company displaying foolishness to passersby's."

I couldn't believe my ears. She was actually going to allow me to stay here with this incredible kid. Never mind her last remark, I could stay with the kid.

I bowed my head, a little bit too low. "That is perfectly fine with me. We will act on our best behaviors, Mrs. Tachibana."

"Follow me, both of you."

He grabbed my hand and took off, in excitement. I couldn't take my eyes off the little boy while giggling at his behavior.

We walked in the elevator and she pressed one of the floor numbers. There were several people around us in the elevator, dressed very high-classed, while I looked like...me. I knew that I didn't belong in a place like this, so how did I let a little kid convince me otherwise?

The elevator dinged and we followed Mrs. Tachibana, who was heading down the hall. My eyes were capturing everything it could in the beautiful building. There were marble floors and everything else was glass, so we could get a great view of Tokyo.

She unlocked one of the doors with her id card and it automatically slid opened. We walked in and there was probably drool falling from the side of my mouth at the sight before me. The place was beautiful! Everything in the room was a dark, navy-blue color, the couch, the mini fridge, desk, everything. There was a nice view of Tokyo through the glass window. It was a little scary being in such a beautiful place because I was already a klutz and one slip; I'd be paying for everything in the room.

"Thanks! Now bye Mrs. Tachibana!" The little boy started to push her out of the room and I suppressed the urge to laugh at him.

She glared at him before turning to me. "Can I get your name? I need to know so I can sign you on the list of guests here. It is something mandatory for every guest that comes in."

"Kinomoto Sakura."

She scribbled my name down on a small notepad. When did she get that?

"Give me your age, number, and weight please."

My cheeks warmed, signifying the blush that spread across my cheeks. Why did they need all of this information about me?

She must have sensed my hesitation because she spoke again. "I can assure you that it is for safety purposes only, Ms. Kinomoto. We would like to know when you come in and when you leave. We would not want you trying to stay in and destroy the building when everyone is gone."

I sighed in relief, still feeling a little embarrassed about having to give my weight away though. "I'm 17 and I don't have a phone. Uhh…and I weigh 101 pounds."

I looked to the floor shyly when her eyes began to scan my figure. I heard her writing down a few more things before she put the notepad away.

"You two try to keep it down and if you need anything, press this button here," she pointed to a green button that was located where she swiped her card earlier.

We nodded and she left the room before the little boy pulled me to the couch hurriedly. The stupid grin on my face wouldn't leave.

"What's the rush, sweetie?"

His frown deepened and it made me wonder why he wanted me around so much. "I want to be with you as much as possible."

"I'm not going anywhere, trust me. Now, can you tell me your name?"

Referring to him as 'honey' and 'sweetie' made me feel like an old woman.

"Li Xing. It is okay for me to call you Sakura, right? My father always says that you should address adults respectfully," he said, looking down bashfully as he used my first name.

"Yes, but only if it's okay for me to call you Xing."

This seemed to brighten his mood, considering the wide smile on his face now. "Of course you can!"

He jumped into my lap, giving me a big hug. I giggled, hugging him back gently and then tried sitting him down on the couch beside me. He held onto me tighter so I couldn't get him off. I didn't complain, so he could have at it. After a while, he released me but remained seated in my lap.

"Is this the room you normally play in?"

"Yes and I have lots and lots of toys in here!"

He jumped off of my lap and took off towards the desk. He pulled out trucks, Legos, and everything he had in the room.

We played for hours and talked nonstop about any and everything. I found out that he was four and a half years old and that he was originally from Hong Kong. He and his Dad moved here, only a few months ago because his Dad had to take care of business here. He told me his favorite food, color, shows, and everything in the book. He never mentioned anything about his mother, so I figured to avoid that topic with him. Something bad must have happened or he was just not fond of her.

Now, we were building a tower with his Legos, sitting in the middle of the floor. I hadn't even noticed how dark it had become outside until looking out the glass windows. Had it really been that long? And was his dad really still in a meeting?

"Daddy sometimes stays in the meetings very late."

He had noticed me looking out the glass windows, so I turned to him and smiled. "I'm in no rush to leave, Xing. I will stay here with you all night, if I have to."

His eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Of course."

He jumped on top of me, hugging me tightly as my back rested against the soft carpet that caused my body to sink into it. I giggled, but cut it short when hearing a beeping sound and the door automatically opening, revealing a guy.

He was the spitting image of the little boy, who was on top of me at the moment. He looked very handsome with his disheveled, chestnut hair and burning, amber eyes. He looked a lot more masculine than Xing of course, and the suit that he had on was breathtaking.

When our eyes met, my body stiffened underneath Xing because of how hard and cold his eyes glared. It was a deadly glare, if that were possible and my heart began to race in my chest. He made me feel like I was doing something wrong, so I gently removed Xing from on top of me.

There was no questioning about the man. He was, indeed Xing's Father.

I sat up from lying down on the floor and looked away from him so I didn't have to see those cold, piercing eyes. I definitely didn't want to have to interact with the man either.

As if Xing could sense my fears, he ran straight to the man. "Daddy!"

'Daddy' who Xing referred him as, picked him up with ease in his arms, hugging him. "I'm sorry about the long wait, buddy. I know you must be starving in this tummy of yours."

The man tickled Xing's tummy and he laughed, squirming in his arms to get down.

"I _am_ a little hungry. Can we have pizza tonight, _please?"_

He gave his father a puppy dog look and I couldn't stop the smile from forming across my lips. There was no way that anyone could say no to those eyes and lip pouting.

He gave Xing a pointed look. "We had pizza last night though."

"And I want it again. Please Daddy? It will make me very happy."

"No pizza tonight," he finalized in a stern voice and Xing groaned, seeming to know that was the end of pizza.

How in the world did the man say no to those eyes? I would never be able to do that.

"Oh! You should meet my new girlfriend, Daddy!"

My body stiffened when I heard Xing trying to get me involved in conversation. My eyes hesitantly strayed over to their direction again and Xing was squirming out of his dad's arms, pulling him towards me.

Running was the only option I could think of at that moment, but my body was stuck on that floor while looking at the two approaching me.

Here goes nothing…

* * *

 **I'm going to end it there before I go any further with this story. Please let me know if you guys think I should continue it or not. Feedback would be greatly appreciated! I accept criticism too because I want to better my writing skills :). I'm still kind of a newbie to this, so please don't be too harsh!**


	2. Killer-Eyes

**"Killer-eyes"**

* * *

I slowly stood from the floor and looked at the two making their way towards me. Xing seemed so excited for us to meet while my insides were twisting in knots, dreading it. My heart wouldn't slow down, and I feared that they would be able to hear it when close to me.

When they reached me, my eyes shifted to the ground due to his intimidating glare. It felt like he could burn a whole through my face, if he wanted to.

"You are the source of my son causing a ruckus in my company?"

My heart nearly stopped beating as my mouth opened, ready to defend myself, but nothing came out. There was nothing to say because I wasn't even aware that I was the cause behind anything.

He raised an eyebrow at me and immediately my mouth closed.

"I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't aware that I was a problem here. If it would please you, I can leave right now."

I started to scramble up clumsily before he could even respond. I needed to get out of there if I wanted to keep living because I could barely breathe. It was hard being in his presence because it was so overwhelmingly horrifying. The door was only a few feet away so I could escape easily.

"Slow down, missy. You are not being dismissed."

My body stood frozen in that spot, not having the slightest clue what to say. My fingers clutched the handle tightly, trying to silently open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"What is your name?"

"K-Kinomoto Sakura," I stuttered, keeping my fingers around the handle.

Xing ran over to me excitedly and hugged my lower half, tightly. "She's my new girlfriend, Daddy!"

I stood awkwardly, not knowing how to act around Xing with his father. Hug him back? Gently push him away with care? Tell him to behave in front of his father? Why was I making myself sound like a bad guy, hiding his crimes?

"Come here, Xing." It was a soft command, but Xing seemed to understand the seriousness to his tone.

He peeled himself from my body with a frown on his face. "But Daddy, she will be sad if I don't keep hugging her. Only I can make her happy with my hugs. Remember what you said?"

My eyes closed, feeling warmth spread throughout my body at the words Xing just spoke. "Xing, I am happy just being around you."

He gave me an icy look, silently questioning what I had said to his son to make him say such a thing. That look caused an unnerving chill to run through my entire body. Why could I not keep my mouth closed?

"See? Daddy, can we keep her?" Xing looked at his father pleadingly and it made me realize that I had to be the one to put a stop to his act. It was, in fact my doing after all.

I bent down in front of him with a smile on my face. "Xing, I have to get home now. I'm glad that I had the chance to meet you."

"You're leaving me?"

I could hear the tears in his voice, just as much as I could feel the heated gaze of his father on me. I rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, as the tears welled in his eyes. My eyes closed so I didn't have to see the look he was giving me. It almost shredded my heart into millions of pieces.

"Well, it's not goodbye."

Xing turned to his dad, grabbing his pant leg, sobbing. "Daddy, can't we keep her? Please?"

"Xing, you know better than to ask for such an outrageous thing. Discard of the things on the floor so we can leave."

His tone was harsh and cold, making a frown form on my lips. He could have been nicer by letting him down gently. He even used words that I was almost sure Xing couldn't understand yet.

"Daddy, _please_! We only just met in the day time."

I wanted—no needed to do something to put him out of his misery, especially with his desperate pleas. Anything would do at this point, so I couldn't stop myself from saying the next thing I was thinking.

"We can play again tomorrow, Xing. I'll come here again and we can spend the entire day together."

I could feel the intense amber eyes on me even though my back was turned to him. Turning around to him only confirmed what I had expected, which was him glaring at me.

"That's not necessary at all, Ms. Kinomoto. He is not a baby anymore and he cannot always get what he wants—"

"I want to!" I interrupted him.

My conscious chastised me for being rude, but I ignored it.

He glared at me coldly and my body stood taut as my eyes drifted to the floor. "I'm sorry, sir. I…I really enjoyed playing with Xing today and I wouldn't mind coming back tomorrow if he wants me to," I said sadly.

"I don't know you, so I don't trust you with my son. You have no right to come here and think that you can demand what you can and cannot do with my son!" he barked at me.

Guilt automatically ate at my heart and my eyes started to water. "I didn't mean it like that, sir—"

"Daddy, don't be mean to Sakura!"

Xing was picking up all the toys and putting them away slowly, with tears still rolling down his rosy cheeks.

My eyes widened at the fact that he would defend a mere stranger against his father. I felt even guiltier, feeling like I was causing conflict.

"No Xing, your father is right. He doesn't know me and you shouldn't trust strangers so easily, either. That could be very dangerous."

"Finish putting your things away, Xing. I don't want to hear any more complaints from you tonight. Is that understood?"

Xing sighed. "Yes, sir."

I turned to his father again and bowed my head slightly. "Please forgive me, sir. I didn't mean to cause any trouble here or disrespect you in any kind of way."

He stared at me hard for a moment and my face began to grow hot. "Where is the location of your home?"

I blinked once. That question caught me off guard. He didn't need to know that because it wasn't any of his business. It must have shown on my face because he opened his mouth again.

"I'm not going to let a girl who is barely a day older than sixteen, walk home alone."

"I-I'm actually 17, sir," I corrected him politely.

"Same difference."

"I am capable enough to get home on my own though. Thank you for the kind offer."

He gave me a questioning look before speaking. "I must repay you for watching my kid all day. I know he can be a handful at times."

"Oh no, that's not necessary. I had a wonderful time with him and I would do it again if I could."

I didn't feel obligated to stay with Xing and I certainly didn't want him to get the wrong impression of me either. It was my choice to be with him all day because I wanted to.

His gaze stayed on my face, seeming to study my expression before his eyes met mine. "I'm going to take you home," he said it in a tone where he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

I nodded mutely and looked down shyly at my bare feet. Letting myself get comfortable so easily in a place that was foreign to me was insane. It caused my insides to turn in shame. I looked around for my shoes before finding them and slipping them back on my bare feet slowly.

Goosebumps broke out on every inch of my skin, feeling his intense gaze on my every move. It seemed like he was waiting for me to make the wrong move.

"Are your parents aware of your whereabouts?"

My body visibly froze and I didn't know what to tell him. I was a terrible liar and he would certainly be able to easily tell if I tried to.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter if they do or don't," I tried being nonchalant about it, but failed miserably at it.

I received no response and I was glad that he dropped the topic immediately. I didn't care if my answer made me seem like a rebellious child getting into trouble. I would rather he think that, than to know what the truth was. Besides, it wasn't a complete lie.

"I'm all finished, Daddy."

Xing motioned to the clean room and a smile crept to my lips. I wanted to know what the man's name was, but I didn't know how to ask. Xing ran to him and jumped in his arms. He picked him up with ease.

"Xing, we are going to get dinner and take Ms. Kinomoto home. Then we are going to go home and you are going to go to bed, okay?"

Xing's face lit up. "Sakura is going to ride in our awesome car and go out to eat with us!?"

My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach at the mention of going out with the man and his kid. When had that been planned?

"That is, if she wants to." He looked at me, silently asking.

My mouth was slightly opened, but not a single coherent sentence came to mind, so I just ended up nodding my head.

"Yay! Sakura is coming with us!"

He was so happy, that the nervousness washed off me immediately.

"You do understand what I said, right? Bedtime as soon as we get home, Xing," he said in a stern voice and Xing nodded stiffly.

"Xing, what are you doing when we get home?"

"Go to bed…" he sounded so disappointed, but his father nodded. I wondered if this was a routine between them.

"Let's go."

He started walking to the door before I could respond, so I immediately went after him. He swiped his card and the door automatically opened.

I mentally groaned, realizing the opportunity that was missed when he swiped the card. His name was on it, and he was putting it away now. I followed closely behind them, listening to Xing tell his dad about everything we did today.

"And then we built this huge building! Didn't we, Sakura?"

I smiled at him and nodded my head, still not being able to find my voice.

He squirmed down from his dad's grip and ran to me, grabbing my hand to pull me down.

"Daddy isn't normally this mean," he attempted to whisper in my ear and I giggled because he failed miserably.

I stood back up, keeping a hold of his hand. "I'm sure he isn't."

I caught up with his dad, so we were walking side by side now. After mustering up the guts, I decided to ask the big question to lighten the mood between us.

"So 'Daddy', are you going to tell me your name?" There was hint of playfulness in my tone as I asked.

He halted in his steps and instantly, regret slapped me in the face for asking the question. Was it not a good idea to ask the question? Was my joke too far?

"It's…Li Syaoran."

Did I really offend him?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, sir."

He made a grunting sound and continued walking ahead of us, a little faster than he was before. Xing looked up at me with an oblivious expression on his face.

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's nothing, let's go."

We walked out of the building to Mr. Li's car with Xing hopping and pulling on my arm.

The expression on my face showed my amazement with the car that was presented in front of me. It had to be the newest version of the Toyota Camry. I didn't know much about cars, but I was sure of this one because there were people driving around in it here quite often. Touya always said that he wanted one too, considering that was all he rambled on about. I didn't remember people driving cars like this in Tomoeda very often though.

"Daddy, can Sakura sit in the back with me, please?" Xing looked up at Mr. Li pleadingly with those puppy dog eyes.

His dad looked at me, silently asking me if I wanted to. I wondered how he could ask so many things with those eyes of his.

"Of course I want to." I smiled down at Xing and the door was opened for us both.

The interior of the car was even more beautiful, with its tan leather seats. How could it look so clean, with a four-year-old riding in it?

Xing was buckled into his car seat.

I felt an intimidating gaze on me, so I looked in the direction of it to see Mr. Li staring at me and my cheeks warmed a little, heart beginning to beat against my chest hard. I slid inside the car and put my seat belt on and the door was shut.

Xing immediately turned to me and started talking. "Daddy bought me a car that looks exactly like this one! It's at home in my room and I drive it around all the time."

How could his energy level still be this high when we played all day?

I smiled regardless and looked at him amusingly. "Oh yeah? I bet you run your father crazy with your driving," I played along, even though I knew his dad wouldn't even be able to fit a hand in his car.

"Of course I do! It's because I am the fastest race car driver who's ever lived!"

I burst into a fit of laughter at that, not being able to contain it. My laughing came to a halt almost immediately when I felt familiar piercing eyes on me. I looked up to see the driver glaring at me in his rear view mirror after the car was at a stop sign. My eyes averted back to Xing beside me quickly, avoiding those killer eyes.

"Do you have an awesome car like Daddy?"

I smiled at him, as I pulled on his cheek gently. "I can only dream of having an awesome car like this."

"Maybe Daddy can get you an awesome car like me!"

I giggled and shook my head, deciding to humor him. "That won't be necessary, considering I might not even be able to fit a leg in it."

"But you will! It's a big car, almost like Daddy's!"

I gave him a playful, pointed look. "Oh really?"

"Xing, stop telling stories. You know what I told you about that," his father interjected.

"Oh, I was only just kidding, Daddy," he said dramatically and I laughed again.

We pulled up to a nice, fancy restaurant and it made me want to be swallowed in a black hole. I was not dressed for this type of place and I was positive that I wouldn't be able to afford any of the food. There was probably less than 400 yen in my pocket.

My thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. I looked up to see Mr. Li glaring at me. He stared at me for a moment before I realized he was waiting for me to get out.

After some thought and considering it to be appropriate, I turned to Xing and unbuckled him from his car seat then slid out of the car. Xing jumped out behind me excitedly. I glanced at Xing's appearance and noticed he even looked more appropriate for this place than I had and it made me feel so insecure about myself.

Mr. Li cleared his throat to get my attention, so I gave it to him. Instead of saying anything, he just grabbed Xing's hand and started walking towards the entrance of the restaurant.

I followed a good distance behind them to not intrude on their time together. After all, I wasn't even supposed to be there.

Mr. Li held the door opened for me and Xing stood beside him, waiting for me to walk through. I smiled at them both gratefully and walked through the door. I could feel Mr. Li walking closely behind me and it unnerved me to the core, knowing the man was near me.

"Table for three, please."

The host looked up to see who it was and a wide grin spread across his face. "Li-kun! How's it going, man? It's been awhile since you came here."

Mr. Li nodded his head. "Yes, a lot has been going on in the company lately, so I have not had time to go out and sit down for a proper meal."

"I see. Well, I'm glad that you could come out tonight. Follow me this way."

The host led us to a secluded area in the restaurant and it made me feel a little nervous. Being alone with the intimidating man and his son was not what I expected today. If I couldn't get my heart under control, I would be rushed to the hospital with how fast it was racing.

"Here are your menus," he handed us menus, "And I will get you all someone to serve you."

He left after Mr. Li gave him a nod, acknowledging that he heard him. Did the man ever smile? He was very handsome but if he smiled, maybe he could look even better, if that were possible.

I blushed at that thought and I picked up the menu, automatically looking for the cheapest thing on it.

 _20,000 yen?!_

That was the cheapest thing on the menu, so what was I supposed to do with the less than 400 yen in my pocket?

Well, I could either tell him that I couldn't afford this food, or tell him that I wasn't hungry. I sat the menu down, deciding to go with the latter.

"I'm not really hungry, Mr. Li."

He looked up at me with those eyes and I immediately looked away shyly when I felt my cheeks warm. Why, oh, why was this man so attractive?

"Why is that?"

"You have to eat, Sakura. You won't be strong like me and Daddy if you don't." Xing held up his small arms, and tried to flex his 'muscles.'

I giggled and shook my head. "I've already ate today," I lied straight through my teeth.

It seemed like I wasn't the only one aware of that because the next thing that came from killer eyes in front of me, was shocking.

"You're a horrible deceiver."

I cringed at the words that he used to describe me. I knew he only used them so Xing wouldn't understand him. He was always so formal though and it wasn't necessary with me.

Despite that, I still didn't defend myself because I knew he would see straight through my lies. Sadly, he filled the silent gap though.

"I'm trying to reward you for watching my son all day and you deny it. Where are your manners?"

I frowned at him. "I told you that I wasn't doing anyone any favors. I truly just wanted to be around him, Mr. Li," I said desperately, hoping that I sounded convincing enough for him because nothing was getting through that thick head of his. I hated for people to feel obligated to do anything for me. I really did want to be around Xing.

He glared at me icily and I flinched back in my chair a little. "You will eat with us," he commanded forcefully.

I felt a surge of anger rush through my blood, ready to retort, but Xing cut in before I could.

"Please Sakura; you have to eat with us."

He gave me those puppy dog eyes that I couldn't say no to, so I gave in with a nod. I picked the menu back up and looked for the cheapest thing on it. I could be stubborn sometimes, but I hated to be a nuisance to anyone. Especially people I didn't even know.

A waiter came over to take our drink orders and I asked for water. I could feel Mr. Li's glare when I said it, but I avoided looking at him. If he was going to spend any money on me, it would be as less as possible. I ordered a small portion of food after we gave orders. Mr. Li didn't even bother to speak or join the conversation between me and Xing the entire dinner.

When the check came, I avoided looking at it, knowing I would come close to tears. He did own a company, but that didn't mean that the guilt of someone spending so much money on me wouldn't eat at my conscious.

Xing had fallen asleep as soon as he was strapped in his car seat in the back, so Mr. Li closed the door before I could get in, in the back with him.

I knew it wasn't necessary for me to sit in the back this time, but it would have made me more comfortable to. I didn't even know what made me more scared, his eyes or just his presence all together.

He was a person that could make you feel like you had committed a crime, even if you had not. His glaring and harsh tone of voice didn't help one bit either, which was why things weren't fair.

I opened the door to the passenger's side of the car awkwardly and slid in quietly, buckling myself in. The drive to my brother's apartment was uncomfortably quiet, besides me telling him where to turn.

"Stop here." I pointed to a nearby store that was just around the corner from the apartment.

"You live in a convenience store?" he asked flatly as he slowed down.

Of course not, but I didn't want him to know where I stayed because it was too embarrassing. With the lifestyle that he lived, he would be quick to judge the place I stayed.

"No Mr. Li, but this is where I would like you to drop me off at."

"What kind of man do you believe me to be?"

"You're a real gentleman, sir. I can't thank you enough for your generosity, but I believe that I have stretched it long enough. My place is just around the corner from here and I can walk the rest of the way."

"Tell me where to turn Ms. Kinomoto. Surely your parents are worried sick about you."

After hearing the word 'parent,' a sick feeling occurred in my stomach. It made me feel like the world was coming down to crash on me. Reality was what it truly was though.

I didn't know what to say, so I just kept my mouth closed tightly, feeling the tears starting to burn in the back of my eyes.

"Ms. Kinomoto," he said it with a stern voice. He stopped on the side of the road and turned to me, glaring.

"I want you to drop me off at the store," I said it so weakly, that my voice broke at a few of the words I had spoken.

"I will do no such thing. Tell me where the hell to turn."

I didn't know what gave him the right to think that he could boss everyone around whenever he felt the need to. But like the weakling I was, I told him because it was hard to say no to those eyes, glaring daggers at me.

When we arrived at my apartment, I stepped out of the car immediately. He ended up getting out with me too though and walked me to the door. To say it wasn't awkward was an understatement.

When we got to my door, I turned to him with a small smile on my face. "Thank you, Mr. Li. I don't know how I—"

"Take this."

I glanced down at his hand that was stretched towards me. It was a small square card in his hand.

"You are the only female that Xing seems to be fond of. He has never taken a liking to a complete stranger in one day, so there must be something about you."

He sounded so professional that it made me think that we were making some kind of a business deal or something. Nonetheless, I took the card from his hand and looked at it to see that it had his information on it.

"Um…"

"Would it be possible for me to get in contact with you? I would like to make a proposition with you."

A proposition?

I looked at him confused. "What kind?"

"I find it best if we could discuss it another time."

He looked towards his car that was a few feet away, reminding me that Xing was there.

I nodded and reached into my pocket and grabbed out a piece of paper and pen. After scribbling down a phone number, I handed the sheet of paper to him.

He looked at it for a moment then nodded. "I will be getting in contact with you shortly. Have a good night." And just like that, he was gone.

I unlocked the door to the small apartment and shut the door behind me after I got in before letting out the deep breath I was holding around the man. I leaned against the door, wondering how my day ended up like this as my heart was beating against my chest hard still.

I attempted to sell my body, cried in public like a toddler would, and met an intimidating man who had the sweetest son.

Those things weren't even a problem compared to my current position though. Tomorrow, I would officially be considered a homeless person.

What could possibly top that?

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews, follows, and favorite alerts!**

 **I am going to end the chapter here though, because the next thing that happens after this scene, requires a chapter to itself.** **I hope this chapter was good enough for you guys. It would make me very happy to know what you guys thought about this chapter! Please please please review!**


	3. The Last Tears

**"The Last Tears"**

* * *

That annoying sound wouldn't stop…where was it even coming from?

 _Beep_ _beep_.

For Heaven's sake, why would it not stop!?

Maybe if I waited a little while, it would stop on its own.

 _Beep beep._

After five more minutes of listening to that annoying sound, I gave up and sat up from my lying position on the futon. I looked around the room, confused and rubbed my eyes sleepily. "Hoe…?"

After my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I was reminded that I was in Onii-chan's apartment. How could I forget that fast? I had been staying here for the past few months.

 _'Baka, baka, baka Sakura,'_ my inner voice chastised me.

That annoying sound was still going off though, so I decided to look for the source of it. I lifted the covers and saw that it was the alarm clock that goes off every single morning. I hit the snooze button and sighed, falling back down on the futon, staring at the ceiling.

My mind automatically reverted back to yesterday's events and a blush crept onto my cheeks, along with my heart rate picking up again like it had been all day yesterday. That man was probably one of the most handsome men I had ever come across. He even had a son that looked very similar to him. They could have been mistaken for twins, with the exception of one being more masculine than the other.

"Li, Syaoran," I tested the name on my tongue. My heart fluttered at the sound of it as a small smile tugged at my lips.

 _'Red flag, Kinomoto, Sakura! He's a man who is probably already taken, considering the fact that he has a kid. A **man** while you're a **girl** ,'_ my inner voice warned me and I couldn't agree more with it.

There was no need to let those thoughts get any further than that. He was blessed with good-looks and there was nothing he could even do about that.

What I needed to be focusing on was finding a job and not giving up so easily today. I had small jobs in the past, but none of them ever lasted. Either I was fired because of my clumsiness or it was just a seasonal job. All I could do today was beg the landlord for a little more time to pay the rent. Surely there was something that could be done in order to get a little more time.

Deciding to think about that later, I jumped up from the futon with my fist in the air. "I'm going to do my best today!" I said to myself. It was always better to stay positive anyway.

I picked out some casual clothes to wear for the day and took a quick shower.

Looking in the refrigerator for something to eat, I saw that there was next to nothing to there. There were eggs and an apple, which was rotting out. Sighing, I took out the eggs and the apple. I cracked 2 eggs then stirred it, while adding pepper and salt in it. I took a bite out of the apple as I stirred the eggs on the pan. The apple actually didn't taste as bad as it looked.

After cooking the eggs, I went to the living room and sat on the floor, in front of the picture with my dad, Onii-chan, and mom, and ate the eggs from the pan in silence.

I stood in front of the mirror after eating and examined myself, to make sure I looked appropriate enough for a job.

After finger combing through my short, auburn hair to make it look presentable, I left the house in search for a job. I went to the nearby cafe's first, since those were jobs that were more likely to hire teenagers. After hours of searching, I had zero luck though.

I wanted to cry—scream even. Do anything to get rid of all the pent up anger and frustration that I had. I couldn't do what I did yesterday though. That was a pure sign of weakness and it proved to get me nowhere in life. I had cried my entire life, depending on others to do everything for me. I depended on that little boy yesterday to keep me happy even. How could I act so selfish? Everyone in my family was strong people, so where did I even fit in, in the family?

"Excuse me ma'am, are you in need of a job? I've noticed you go in and out of several stores around here."

My eyes widened in surprise. Did I just hear correct? Was I getting a chance at life for once?

"Yes, I am and I've been looking all day. Do you by chance know anywhere that is hiring?" Of course he did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come up to me and asked such a thing.

"Well, I'm looking for young girls who are willing to model and you seem like the perfect person with how beautiful you are."

My cheeks warmed and I looked to the ground shyly. "Thank you, sir…but I don't think that I could ever do such a thing. Besides, I'm only 17."

A model? My mother was the most beautiful model that ever lived, to me. There was no way that I could do that though.

He held out his hand for me to shake it, which I did. "My name is Hideki, Akiyama. I don't see why you can't do it. You're beautiful and in need for a job. I'm currently looking for a beautiful girl who is in need of a job. It's perfect."

I blushed and was tempted to take it automatically, but something told me not to right away. "I have to think about it first, if that is alright with you?" I looked at the man, questioningly.

I did need a job, badly. This was something too big of a decision to make on a whim though. It was something that I would have to stop everything for and I wasn't ready for that yet.

"Of course. Give me a call if you change your mind at any time."

He handed me a small square card. Looking at it, I giggled softly, thinking about a similar situation that happened less than 24 hours ago. Did people in Tokyo really give these cards with their information away so freely to everyone they came across?

I gave him a kind smile and nodded my head. "I will and thank you for the offer, sir." I bowed my head slightly and he smiled at me before walking off.

Then it hit me. I just turned down a job offer even though I had been out all day looking for a job. What was wrong with me?

Pushing that thought to the back of my head before I became depressed about it, I decided to head back to the apartment. I had until 6:00pm before I would be getting kicked out for not paying the landlord. I hadn't even thought about what I could tell him yet.

I walked back to the apartment with my mind occupied with different things I could tell the landlord this time. I had already begged him to give me a little more time last month to pay rent and I was only able to pay three-fourths of what was due. He was so kind and understanding last time, but I think that I had milked his kindness long enough. I had to give it a try though.

I arrived at the small apartment at approximately 5:30pm and my nerves were all over the place.

I was still not sure what I was going to tell him and I was scared that whatever I did tell him, he would say no. I had to try my best though, even if I had to get on my knees and beg.

On the way to the room, I ended up running into the landlord because he was oddly near the room number I stayed in.

What was his name again? Hiyoshi, was it?

He wasn't necessarily the average, old man type of landlord. He looked fairly young—maybe in his mid-thirties. He had a very gentle face that made me feel less frightened to speak to him.

I inhaled a deep breath before mustering up the courage to speak. I began to walk in his direction with a smile plastered on my face.

"Hello Mr. Hiyoshi. My name is Kinomoto, Sakura—"

"Are you Touya-kun's sister?!"

I bit back the frown that threatened to form on my lips, but nodded my head slowly.

"I'm sorry about what happened to the poor boy. I hope that you are coping well. I only just found out a couple of days ago. I should have known before though, considering you've been the one paying rent for the last few times."

I gave him a sad smile and bowed my head slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"Yes, your brother was a good man. He always talked good things about you and he always paid his rent on time, even after Fujitaka-kun passed away a few years ago. He really cared for you a lot, like a great brother should for his sister."

My heart rate picked up, realizing this was the moment I had been preparing myself for all day. "Yes sir, he was. I actually wanted to talk to you about that." I looked down at my shoes shyly before glancing back up at him. "Is there any way that the date could be extended for me to pay rent? I just need a little more time to come up with the rest of the money. I could even use a few more days if you would allow me. I'll even have enough money to pay back the rest of last month's rent too."

My eyes ended up straying back to the floor, staying glued there from shame and embarrassment. He was just praising my brother about being able to take care of me, along with himself and I was doing the complete opposite of what he did. I couldn't even take care of myself.

"Sakura…"

I knew that tone of voice. It was the tone that my father used whenever he was trying to let me down easily about something I couldn't have. The tone Touya used whenever he didn't agree with the choice of guys that I liked. It was that tone that always shattered my heart into millions of pieces because I knew that I wouldn't be able to get what I want.

"Mr. Hiyoshi, please. I'll do anything, just name it. I know I was not able to pay all of it last time, but in a few more days, I'll have it all. Even extra for next month's rent. I have this job as a model now and it pays very well. After one shoot, they hand you the money in cash. Please Mr. Hiyoshi-kun…"

It wasn't a complete lie…Mr. Akiyama did say that he would give me the job if I ever decided that I wanted to do it. Most modeling jobs paid very well in Tokyo I had heard, so that wasn't a lie either.

"A modeling job, eh?"

I could feel his eyes scanning my entire body and to say it did not make me feel uncomfortable was the complete opposite of what I was feeling. It felt like little bugs were crawling under my skin with each glance over he gave me. I could put up with the staring as long as he granted me my wish though.

I finally decided to look him in the eyes, with determination on my face. "Yes sir. It pays very well too, so we won't have this problem anymore. Please sir…"

"You are aware what they make models do, right?"

His eyes remained glued to my form as he began to approach me slowly. It felt like I was his prey, with the look that he had in his eyes.

"U-um…yes?"

Was there a wrong or right answer to that question? For some reason, it felt like there was.

"How about we make it simple and you do it for me?"

My back hit against the wall, lightly. When had I started moving and when had he invaded all of my personal space?

"I-I'm not sure what you're asking Mr. Hiyoshi." I pressed my body against the wall more so our bodies wouldn't make contact.

 _'Run, you foolish girl!'_ I could hear my inner voice telling me.

He pulled on the hem of my shirt, pressing his body against mine. I gasped when something hard pressed against my stomach.

"Take your clothes off. I'm willing to let you stay here for free if you're willing to do that."

I felt his cold hand slide under my shirt slightly, while he rested his other hand beside my head on the wall. I didn't know why it made me feel so sick, when I was going to willingly sell myself to random guys 24 hours ago.

I pushed his hand from under my shirt immediately. "Mr. Hiyoshi, I don't think I can do that."

"Sure you can. You'll have to get used to the idea anyway, if you're going to do modeling."

I felt his hand slide under my shirt again and he pulled up my shirt a little more this time. I tried pushing him away, but he grabbed both of my wrists with one hand and slammed them against the wall behind me roughly, pinning me there.

My eyes widened and I started to struggle against him. "Please Mr. Hiyoshi. I don't want to do this—"

"You said that you would be willing to do anything, right?"

That was when I felt his hot breath against my face. He didn't stop pulling my shirt up this time though. My body froze and I began to struggle against him even more, realizing where this was going.

How could I act so foolish? What girl tells a guy that they're willing to do anything for something?

After he placed a single kiss on my neck, I began to panic even more against his firm grip on me. "Please, Mr. Hiyoshi! I didn't mean anything like this!"

His cold tongue ran down the length of my neck, as his fingers creeped higher up my torso. My insides twisted around each other and I held back the vomit that was attempting to erupt from my stomach.

After a few seconds of struggling, I stopped, feeling too weak to do anything anymore. Tears started to stream down my cheeks before I could stop them this time.

Was I really going to lose my innocence this way? I had always pictured myself losing it to someone that I really loved and loved me in return.

Why did such cruel people even exist? Everything wasn't fair in this world. Innocents were tortured daily, even some to death and there were people like Mr. Hiyoshi who existed and had a great life. Who would create such a messed up world like this?

My shirt was ripped off my body before I could even take another breath and I felt myself being pulled towards my room number. I began struggling again, knowing where this would end.

"Help me! Someo—" my mouth was covered by a hand before I could finish my sentence.

I took a bite at Mr. Hiyoshi's hand hard before I felt myself being pushed down on the floor, hearing him yelp. I started to crawl away and stand up, but he grabbed one of my legs, which caused me to fall face down to the ground again.

I grabbed my nose and gently held it. "Itai…"

Mr. Hiyoshi was on top of me before I could even get over my bruised nose.

"Why are you being so difficult? Here I am trying to extend a helping hand and you're rejecting it. How rude can you get?"

More tears formed in my eyes as I struggled under him, before he grabbed my hands with one hand and pinned them above my head on the ground this time. He slammed my wrists against the floor several times, causing me to scream in pain. This was it. This was still the path that I would have to take. My eyes closed and my body went completely limp under him as he started unzipping my pants.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, asshole?" I heard a voice bark and Mr. Hiyoshi was off of me within a blank of an eye. I didn't even bother to glance up to see who the 'savior' was, due to the fact that I was trying to cover my half-naked torso.

"This doesn't concern you. She is the one who wanted to sell her body to me in order to live here!"

"You sick, motherfucker," I heard another smack sound.

It made me sick knowing that Mr. Hiyoshi was getting beaten up even though I should have been happy about it.

After a few more minutes of hearing grunts and more smacks, Mr. Hiyoshi scurried off from my floor.

Something large was thrown on top of me immediately after that. I looked up, surprised when I saw Mr. Li staring down at me intensely with those killer eyes. Our eyes locked for a few seconds before I looked away, feeling my heart skip a beat with the same stupid blush burning my face like it always did around him.

"W-what are you doing here?" I stuttered, nervously wrapping his suit coat around me tightly so he couldn't see anything.

The coat was fairly large and it made me feel like I was being swallowed. And I didn't mean by how large it was, but by the scent. He had a sandalwood scent, with a slight hint of cologne I wasn't familiar with. It smelt really good though.

He held up his phone. "You didn't answer. I assumed you gave me a false number."

My mouth opened, then closed and opened once again. I knew how to make myself look like a fool in front of this man for sure.

"G-gomen! It was not a false number, Mr. Li. It's my home phone number…"

"Used to be home phone number," he corrected me and I looked at him questioningly. "Was that not true about what he said?"

My eyes widened and I furiously shook my head. "No, Mr. Li! I would never do such a thing with a man I'm not familiar with!" I blushed furiously as I kept my eyes away from his.

"You can't afford this piece of shit?" He motioned to the apartment complex.

I grew even more embarrassed and ashamed, with a hint of anger at his insult. "Not everyone owns their own company, Mr. Li." I tried being polite, but there was an edginess to my tone.

"Yes, but I've seen lower class people afford better places than this."

My fists clenched, just itching to punch that smug look off his face as he spoke down on the place I grew to call home.

"Well, there are some less fortunate than others. Was there something that you wanted?" It was rude and unlike me, but I would never let anyone talk down on those who tried their best every day to make a living.

His whole demeanor changed when I asked that and he was back to the killer-eyes, intimidating man that I first met. I looked down to the ground again, feeling that same fluttering sensation at the pit of my stomach. Was it the intimidating aura or his eyes that made me feel this way?

"Yes. I find your situation to be perfect timing."

I gasped at his statement. How much more would he throw at me today with his rude attitude?

"How would you feel about being a nanny to my son?"

I gasped again, not believing what my ears were hearing. "W-wait, are you being serious?"

He was silent for a while, so I decided to look up to meet those piercing, fiery eyes.

"Yes. As I told you last evening, Xing does not take a liking to most females. Every woman that I've hired, he's hated them or somehow achieved to make them quit."

I didn't know what to say to him, so it shouldn't be a surprise how I sat there on the ground, staring at him with my mouth opening and closing. This seemed to be a new habit of mine around the man.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"That you will. What is your desired pay? I'm willing to pay anything."

I gaped at him. "Mr. Li! That won't be necessary. You've already been so generous to me, so I don't think that I would be able to take anymore from you than I already have."

It was so hard to hold his intimidating stare, so I didn't even attempt to. I felt him glaring at me, even though I wasn't looking. I didn't need to look to know anything this man did. He always somehow made me feel it.

"I thought we already had this discussion. I'm here offering you what you desire and you reject it?"

"I—"

"You can stay at my place for free and I will give you money for keeping an eye on Xing as well."

I gasped again at the fact that he would offer a mere stranger an invitation to stay at his home. Did his parents not tell him that he shouldn't trust strangers? And how could he just tell me that he would give me anything I wanted, if I did this?

The man was insane!

"Mr. Li! That—"

"Don't reject my generosity once more." It was a command, so that stopped me from speaking, as usual.

"I would like to go out with you before we seal the deal and have a background check on you."

I hadn't even agreed to do it and he was already suggesting invading my privacy.

"Mr. Li, I can't accept this offer from you. I would hate for Xing to think that I'm only around for the money, so my conscious won't let me allow myself to do such a thing."

"Ms. Kinomoto."

I looked up at him hesitantly and had the urge to look away from his piercing stare, but I held it for once.

"Xing wouldn't mind having you around. He won't even know about the arrangement, if it would put you at ease about the proposition. Don't think of it as you doing me a favor; instead think of it the other way around. You need money and a place to stay and I'm willing to lend you a helping hand, in return of you watching my son. It's a win-win situation. Opportunities like this don't come by easy. Just think about it for a moment. An opportunity like this will probably never present itself to you again."

He was talking as though we were creating some type of business arrangement and I didn't know how to think or feel about that. One side of my mind was telling me to say no and run, while the more rational side was telling me that I should because he was right. After I left here, I wouldn't have a place to stay. I couldn't stay here, especially after what just happened. There was no way that I could do this though. Being in a house with a stranger and his kid also seemed insane. It would be nice if I was able to be around Xing. I know it sounded selfish, but it had to be fate that we met at a time like this.

"Mr. Li—"

"Is there anything I can do to convince you to do this?"

There wasn't anything that he could do. I didn't know what to tell him either because I wasn't aware of the right thing to do.

My eyes shifted back to the ground—which I was still sitting on. I didn't know this man, so there was no way that I could trust him so easily…right?

Without much thought into that question, I made up my mind.

"Alright."

He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity and I was sure an ugly, red stain started to form on my entire face again.

"Have all your things packed by…" he glanced down at his clock, "8:00. I will get you a place to stay for the next few days until we have everything settled. Someone will come over and help you get your things moved. You should be settled in before midnight."

I didn't know what to say because everything was happening so fast, so I just nodded. I was almost sure that I had a dazed expression on my face. I didn't even have the energy to argue with the fact that he was spending so much money on me either.

"Have a good day." And just like that, he was gone. Again.

I didn't even get to thank him for stopping what was going to happen with Mr. Hiyoshi. Unconsciously, I pulled the jacket around my body tighter and stood up from the ground.

I was going to stay with Mr. Li and Xing…

It was almost unbelievable.

I shouldn't have felt so excited and anxious about it, but I did. I should have been scared because I didn't know these people, but I wasn't. I was really going insane.

I headed back into the apartment and started to pack all of my things, with my mind still being occupied by Mr. Li and his proposition. I gently placed Mr. Li's jacket on the couch and slipped a T-shirt on. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling disgusted all over my body suddenly. I could still feel Mr. Hiyoshi's hands and mouth on me. I took the shirt back off and went to the bathroom to take a bath. No matter how hard I scrubbed my body, I could still feel him on me though. My eyes began to burn with tears again. However, I quickly shook my head to get rid of the tears. I was such a crybaby. I always resorted back to crying whenever I didn't know how to cope with my own feelings or situations. I was so weak.

After I showered, I dressed in a different outfit and finished packing the rest of my things. Mr. Li was right; there was a man who came to my door, dressed in all black at 8 o' clock to pick up my things, along with me. I was now in the car with a stranger, who was driving me some place I didn't even know. Everything just seemed so unrealistic.

 _"This isn't something that happens every day."_

He was right on so many levels. This didn't happen where I used to live anyway. I didn't know anyone who was taken in by some rich guy, who wanted them to take care of their child.

I was still a child! Well…sort of. I would be 18 in less than a year, but that was aside from the point.

"Kirei…" I was looking out the window at all the lights and skyscrapers. Tokyo really was a beautiful place. It was sad that I hadn't noticed until now.

"We will arrive at the hotel shortly, Ms. Kinomoto," the driver said, keeping his eyes glued to the road.

I smiled a little, even though he could not see me. "Alright," I said, barely as a whisper but I saw him nod his head.

It didn't take long to get to the destination after he promised that.

The goldish-yellow building was huge and I was in awe with the beautiful appearance. The words Conrad was in black, bold letters in the middle of it. It looked so beautiful...

"Ms. Kinomoto, follow me this way."

I glanced at the guy who had been assisting me since 8 o' clock. He had already grabbed my bags and was waiting for me to follow him.

A blush stained my cheeks as I nodded my head. "U-um…I can carry one of those if you would like, sir." I offered a hand towards him for one of the bags.

He shook his head with a small smile on his lips. "That won't be necessary, Ms. Kinomoto. Besides, that is not why Mr. Li hired me, so I don't think that he would be pleased to know that I'm not being of assistance to you. Right this way."

I followed up closely behind him, keeping my eyes to the ground. Even though Mr. Li was a little rude and very intimidating, he seemed to be a very generous person. He had been generous to me even when I didn't deserve it. I knew he was only doing all of this so he could have someone to watch his kid, but there were too many women who were much older than me that were capable of doing the job.

 _"Xing does not take a liking to most females. Every woman that I've hired, he's hated them or achieved to make them quit."_ Was what he said to me back at the apartment.

Just how many women had he tried to hire? And why was Xing giving these women such a hard time? I found it quite hard to believe that he would do such a thing. He was such an angel the day we met…

The doors automatically opened when we approached them. My mouth fell open at the sight that was in front of me. It was even more beautiful inside of the entrance hall. I didn't have time to suck in everything though, because it felt like we were walking much too fast for my liking. We walked into the elevator and he pressed the top floor and it made me feel a little scared. I didn't do well with heights, so I hoped there wasn't a view down.

The elevator dinged and we walked to a room door. He opened the door for me to walk in first. A smile formed on my lips as I bowed my head, thanking him silently.

Taking a look at the room, I was awestruck again. The room was even more beautiful and comfy feeling than the outside of the building was. I had heard about this place quite often back in Tomoeda from people who came to Tokyo. They always talked about how the King Room Bay View was, so I was almost sure that this was what they were talking about.

There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the room and the view that the window displayed was beautiful! You could take in the view of the Royal Hamarikyu Gardens and Tokyo Bay from the window. In front of the bed a few feet away, there was a flat screen TV hanging on the wall and a beautiful, brown dresser underneath it. On the wall, there was a sumi-e style cherry blossom painted on the headboard of the bed and on the flooring. The room was complimented by the traditional lantern-styled lamps by the bed and dresser. There was a table by the dresser with a comfy-looking wheel chair and a sofa-looking bed by the window with pillows on it.

The room was breathtakingly beautiful and it was almost hard to believe that a 17-year-old, like me, was going to sleep there for who knows how long.

He sat my bags down by the bed and I thanked him for it before he left.

I walked fully in the room, still taking every little detail in that I could. Thanking Mr. Li was one of my top priorities right now. He didn't have to go out of his way and get me a place like this. In fact, he didn't have to do any of this for me, but he did. Even though I felt guilty, there wasn't really any other option but to thank him, even if he could be rude sometimes.

The phone began ringing and I hurriedly walked to the small dresser by the bed, with the phone on top of it. Who would be calling this room, this late at night?

Hesitantly, I picked it up. "H-hello?"

 _"I see you've arrived. How is everything for you?"_

My heart began to race at the voice on the other line.

 _Mr. Li._

"I-It's great actually. You didn't have to go out of your way for—"

 _"Ms. Kinomoto."_

My sentence came to a halt with how stern his voice was. "G-gomen, Mr. Li. I just can't wrap my head around someone spending so much on me."

 _"It is my money to spend, so keep your nose out of it."_

I blushed from embarrassment, glad that he couldn't see me. "You're right. Thank you, Mr. Li."

 _"Tomorrow, I will have one of my men come by and pick you up."_

"P-pick me up for what?"

 _"Be ready at 6:00."_

Before I could even respond, he ended the call.

I huffed and sat the phone back down, feeling a little irritated with the man. He was so pushy and grouchy all the time for no reason. I hadn't done anything to make him feel whatever way he was towards me, so he had no reason to treat me like he does. What made him think that he could just appear in people lives and control them anyway?

Deciding that I had enough with the man, I went to my bag and found his business card and got ready to dial his number and tell him that I didn't want to do this anymore. Just as I was about to dial the last digit, my conscious stopped me.

If I went through with this, I would be on the streets of Tokyo lost, not knowing where to go. I hated to feel like I had to depend on other people though. That was what happened with Onii-chan. He worked so hard for the both of us and even encouraged me to just focus on school. He wouldn't allow me to work, but I let him. He worked three jobs, while doing school. Why could I not be blessed like him to have the ability to do stuff like that?

I sat the phone back on the hook and took off my shoes, then slid under the soft sheets of the bed, not caring that I was fully clothed.

And here I thought that I was going to finally stop depending on others so much. Mr. Li and his pushy personality just had to come along and ruin that.

I buried my face in the pillow, as my head sunk in it. I could just feel the burning sensation behind my eyes again. Crying was always the solution that I somehow turned to. So guess what I did?

Cried myself to sleep tonight, hoping for a better me tomorrow…

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews, favorites, and follow alerts!**

 **I know this wasn't the happiest chapter in the world, but it's progressing, right? I actually worked a little harder on this chapter because my mind has been a little jumbled up lately, so I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter at least a little bit.** **I know there wasn't much interacting with the main characters on this chapter, but everything has to be set in stone first before that can happen. I can assure you guys that the next chapter will have a lot of SxS interaction though!**

 **Just in case some of you don't know:**

 **Onii-chan- Big Brother**

 **Itaii- Ouch or that hurt**

 **Gomen- I'm sorry or just sorry**

 **Kirei- Amazing, beautiful, lovely, etc in Japanese.**

 **Arigatou- Thank you in Japanese**

 **Conrad- A beautiful 5 star hotel in Tokyo(if any of you want to look it up, there are pictures on google.)**


	4. The Contract

**"The Contract"**

* * *

The water in the shower felt so good against my skin that it was almost addicting. There was the right amount of pressure that it had that made my muscles relax whenever the water would slap against my skin. It was almost hard to believe that I was in such a place. It felt like heaven everywhere in the hotel.

Mr. Li had given me another phone call earlier, telling me to be ready earlier than six o' clock today. He still didn't inform me what he had planned for us to do though. He only told me to dress casual, so I came to the conclusion that we wouldn't be going anywhere fancy again like we had the other day with Xing.

That information made me feel happy because I didn't own anything that would match up to the expectation of the places that we had went to the other day anyway.

He was rude and hung the phone up on me again before I even had the chance to respond, but it was sad to say that I was beginning to become used to it.

I lathered up the shampoo in my hair while massaging my scalp, humming a tune that was very familiar, yet unfamiliar to me. I had always hummed it though.

Crying myself to sleep last night lifted my spirits tremendously today for some reason. Maybe crying and sleeping afterwards was the best medicine to cure a broken spirit.

A smile formed on my lips as the water rinsed out the shampoo slowly, running down my body. Today was going to be a great day and I wasn't going to allow anything to bring me down anymore. My father and Touya wouldn't want me to be down and upset about anything that life threw my way, so I wouldn't. Besides, the least I could do was remain my cheerful self for their sake.

I stepped out of the walk in shower and grabbed the towel on the rack, wrapping it around my body tightly. I walked back into the hotel room and dried off before slipping my bra and panties on.

A pleated, red suspender skirt that reached mid-thigh rested on my bed, with a black-fitted shirt. I had taken out some knee-high socks with red and white converse shoes from my suitcase.

After towel-drying my hair, I slipped the clothes on quickly before blow drying my hair.

I heard a knock on my room door at 2:00, just as Mr. Li told me that I would. I ran to the door and opened it, to see the same big, buff man from yesterday.

"Hello, Sir…" I stepped to the side so he could come in.

For some reason, I could trust this man with all my heart even though I didn't know him. I wasn't even the slightest bit scared whenever he came around.

"Just call me Kenta because you are going to be seeing a lot of me from now on. I'm with Mr. Li almost 24/7 as his body guard."

A gasp escaped my mouth as I looked at him horrified. "How are you going to guard him if you're here with me?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "He doesn't necessarily have to have me around all the time. He chooses me to come around when it's necessary. He's at the company most of the time, so there are guards there who can make sure he is in safety. He wants me to be of assistance to you right now, so I follow his orders."

I gave a slight nod, taking in everything he just said. It did make me wonder how well-known Mr. Li was around the city. I hadn't even heard of him before, until just meeting him the other day.

I smiled at him and held my hand towards him to shake. "Well, it's nice to meet you Kenta. I'm Kinomoto, Sakura. If you're going to be around as often as you say you will, please call me Sakura."

He took my hand and shook it, with a smile on his face. "Just to let you know, Mr. Li does not like tardiness, so you might want to speed up a little bit."

"Oh—right. I just have to do my hair." I rushed to my bag and took out the flat iron, plugging it up.

"So…how long have you been working for Mr. Li?" I asked while straightening my hair.

"It's going on about 15 years now."

I wanted to ask how old Mr. Li was, but didn't know if it would be appropriate to.

"Wow, he must really trust you then, huh?" I asked after finishing straightening my hair, then put half of it up, leaving out my bangs to frame my face.

"15 years is a long time, huh? That's over a decade of his life so you could say he trusts me by now."

I looked at him through the mirror to see him smiling at me. I smiled back before turning towards him, presenting myself to him.

He smiled at me and nodded approvingly.

"It is. How long has he been in the business industry?" I asked, hoping to get the answer I wanted to know.

"Have you never heard of the Li Corporation before?" he asked, standing from the chair after he saw me finish.

I shook my head slowly. "No. I haven't always lived in Tokyo though, so that may be the reason why."

"Oh, Tokyo isn't where the Li Corporation originally came from. Mr. Li isn't even from here, but he has to be the one to take over the main company here in Japan. He's actually from Hong Kong, but his mother sent him here. He normally jumps back and forth from here to Hong Kong though."

That was right; Xing did mention something about them being from Hong Kong.

"We should head out. Mr. Li has waited long enough."

Kenta led the way out of the hotel and I followed closely behind him, not wanting to get lost in the beautiful place.

"It seems like they're pretty successful if they have one here and in Hong Kong," I brought the topic back up.

I wanted to find out as much about Mr. Li before we actually met up today. I had a feeling that he wouldn't cooperate with me and tell me anything I asked.

"They have one in England, America, and 6 other countries actually. They are, indeed successful."

"Is Mr. Li over all of them?"

"Yes. After his father passed away, everything was handed down to him, so he has the responsibility of all of them."

I felt a little sympathy for him, thinking about all the stress he must be under.

"How old is he?" I finally asked because it was the perfect opportunity. "He doesn't look too old to be taking on so much stress in his life," I added, just in case he got the wrong idea about my question.

"He just turned 22 a couple of months ago, but his father passed away when he was 18."

I gasped and turned to him, shocked. "How is that even possible for an 18 year old to take over eight companies?"

"Well, he didn't really have much of a choice with this. He did all of his college at home during his late junior high and high school years."

He opened the car door for me when we reached the car.

"Would it be okay for me to sit in the front with you?" I asked, smiling at him.

I felt much more comfortable around him now. Plus, I wanted to continue the previous conversation that we were having.

He gave me a small smile and opened the front door for me. I smiled at him, silently thanking him before sliding in the car, buckling up.

"Mr. Li is forced to keep up with the companies then?" I asked after he settled in, in the passenger's side of the car.

"Well, he didn't really have much of a choice to do anything else, so take it as you may. In the Li Clan, the first son in the family is the one who has to take on all of the responsibilities of the previous owner."

"So…Xing would have to take on everything after Mr. Li passes?"

"That's correct. That is one of the reasons that Mr. Li and his previous wife had Xing."

I frowned at that new information because it sounded so selfish and cruel. People should be allowed to choose their own paths in life.

"What if Xing doesn't want to do that though?"

"It's not really much of Xing's choice right now. Besides, the boy just turned four so he doesn't know anything that he wants right now, aside from cake and ice cream. As he gets older, he will be led towards that path and learn to love it eventually."

"That just sounds so unfair though. What if he wants to be a teacher? Or maybe even a lawyer? Shouldn't he have that right like everyone else does?" My eyes began to water for the poor, little boy.

"Well, it's not something you should stress over, Sakura. He will learn the way of the Li clan and accept it. He will turn out just fine like his father has."

The tears behind my eyes automatically vanished at the mention of the man.

"Excuse my bluntness, but I hope that Xing doesn't turn out like his father. He's so rude and bossy all the time," I tried sounding polite about it, but couldn't help but talk freely to the man. He made me feel like I could speak my mind to him.

Kenta chuckled and shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "Mr. Li isn't so bad once you get to know him. He puts up a facade around others, but there's a really soft side to him. It's just hard to reach that side of him sometimes."

I made a slight hum sound, to let him know that I heard him. I didn't believe him one bit though. Mr. Li and I had more than one encounter together and he was extremely rude each time, even when he was the one who created the encounters with me several times.

When we pulled up to a beautiful park, my nerves began to jump all over the place. I wondered why Mr. Li would want to meet at the park. Maybe Xing was going to be here. I hoped so, at least.

Kenta came to my side of the car quickly, before I could open the door myself and opened it for me. I slid out, not forgetting my small bag that I had brought along with me.

I looked around the park, admiring how beautiful it was until my eyes spotted the chestnut haired man, sitting on a bench with sunglasses on. He was dressed slightly casual, but he still looked a little too nice for the park. He had on dark blue jeans and a white, long-sleeved, buttoned-down shirt, but his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he had on really nice shoes.

My heart began to race and I felt nervous all of sudden, seeing him sitting there looking so calm. My eyes started looking around for any signs of Xing, but he was nowhere in sight, sadly.

"This way, Sakura," Kenta said as he started walking towards Mr. Li, while I followed behind him.

Mr. Li spoke something in Chinese to Kenta when we arrived in front of him and Kenta nodded his head.

"You may leave," he dismissed Kenta and I had the urge to follow him back to the car to escape Mr. Li.

"I hope that you are aware that I don't tolerate tardiness," Mr. Li said sternly to me and a blush stained my cheeks from embarrassment.

I hadn't tried to be intentionally late, but I seemed to be cursed in that aspect in my life.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," I said too quickly, not even caring how hard he was glaring at me. I didn't understand why he was so mad about it though. It was my first time being late, so he could cut me a little slack.

"Have a seat."

I immediately sat down on the bench as far away from him, as I could. I wanted to avoid any awkward physical contact with him because I might faint if we did.

"Your background was clear. There was nothing found that could interfere with the proposition. How long have you been living alone?"

I blushed a little, feeling exposed to him. He really went and had me checked out—I was only 17! There was only so much I could do at this age, I panicked in my head.

"Just a few months." My eyes stayed glued to my hands in my lap.

"Your brother passed away a few months ago and your father passed away a few years ago. You probably can't even remember a single thing about your mother since you were just 3 when she passed. Why didn't you just tell me all of this the other day?"

My fist clenched in my lap, feeling a little irritated with how he could just throw all of that information in my face without much care for it. My heart ached, being reminded of this kind of stuff. This was why I never spoke about it.

Didn't he have a heart? Some kind of sympathy towards that information at least? I wasn't used to it yet and he was parading it in my face like it was something to celebrate.

"I didn't think that it was anyone's business. Plus, we had just met…" I said very quietly, feeling the back of my eyes burn.

I felt his glare directed towards me and my body froze completely, fearing what he would do next. "You're going to have to speak up, Ms. Kinomoto. I specifically asked you about your parents the other day and you completely avoided the question." He sounded mad—angry even that I didn't tell him that information. What the hell? It wasn't any of his business!

"I-I—"

"Whenever I ask you about something else, I expect you to answer the question honestly. Is that understood?" he asked harshly.

I frowned, feeling like a kid all over again. He had a kid, but there was no way that he went around talking to everyone as if they were his kid. It felt extremely weird too, considering I would be considered a legal adult in less than a year from now.

I looked at him determinedly. "Mr. Li, I would like for you not to treat me like a child," I said after mustering up the courage to defend myself.

He stared at me for a while and I looked away after a few seconds of holding his piercing gaze. Why was my heart racing so fast again?

"You have to be honest with me, Ms. Kinomoto. I don't know any other way to say it to you."

"Okay…" I said quietly and felt him glaring again.

"I-I understand, Mr. Li," I said a little louder this time so he could hear.

"How have you been making a living? Surely the government would have caught up with you by now. You're not 18 until April 1, so you should have been in the system by now."

I frowned hearing him talk about me as if he had known me for a while.

A slight blush formed on my cheeks though. "Well, I had a job at the time my brother…" I trailed off, not being able to say what I had avoided saying for so long. "I was getting paid enough to pay rent before I lost that job," I finished, after being quiet for a few seconds.

"Why did you lose it?"

My cheeks burned, surely becoming darkened to an ugly shade of red from embarrassment. "Well…" I trailed off, not wanting to tell him.

"Well, what? I'm an impatient man, so your stalling will not be tolerated."

After a few seconds of silence, I finally spoke. "I was fired."

"Why?"

Our eyes met and we stared at each other for a while, causing the muscles in my lower abdomen to clench.

"U-um…"

He gave me a pointed look and I cleared my throat. "Because of my clumsiness…I was always making a mess in the kitchen…and with the customers…"

"I'm not asking you to serve us, so that isn't much of a problem here."

"I-I can cook quite well though," I hurriedly added before the topic would be dropped. I did learn from the best. My father was probably one of the best cooks in the entire world, no doubts. He could cook anything that was in the book and he even came up with some of his own recipes.

"You won't have to worry about that either."

I nodded, letting him know that I heard him.

We fell into an uncomfortable silence and he didn't seem like he was willing to break it any time soon.

"S-so, where's Xing?"

"Home."

"All by himself!?" I exclaimed, turning to him a little worried.

He gave me a questioningly look. "What kind of a father do you take me for?"

"One who leaves his son by himself all day while he works." My hands covered my mouth, not believing that I had just said that.

He raised an eyebrow at me and immediately, I bowed my head apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Li. I didn't mean it like that at all. I was just a little surprised that Xing and I were able to spend an entire day together, without any interruptions. If I wasn't there, Xing would have been there by himself all day."

I didn't know where all of this was coming from, but it felt great to let out the thoughts that had been bothering me for the past few days.

"Xing is capable enough to sit in a room for a few hours, playing with all the toys in that room that I bought him. He does it every day and he's completely fine with it."

I shook my head, not being able to believe what I was hearing. He was treating Xing like he was an eight-ten-years-old. He was only four!

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li," I apologized. I was trying to overstep my boundaries again in Xing's life. I had no rights to tell him how to raise his own son.

Mr. Li didn't say anything to my apology and leaned his head back, enjoying the breeze that was currently present.

His disheveled hair flowed gracefully as the breeze kept blowing in our direction. I wanted to take those shades off so I could look directly in his amber orbs, but thought better of it. I didn't even know what possessed me to desire such a strange thing.

"W-would I have to watch Xing all the time? Vacation time will be over in a few weeks, so I will have to attend school. I am involved in some of the activities as well."

"Xing has a personal tutor here during the school hours. I expect you to wake up early in the mornings and get him ready for his day, every single day. When you finish school and your activities, you come straight home and watch him for the remainder of the day. If I come in late, you are to have him fed, bathed, and put in bed at his bedtime. You are to watch him at any time that I tell you to. It is my house, so whatever I say, goes. Nothing inappropriate will be requested between any of us who stay in the house."

I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. It seemed like he was asking me to be Xing's mother! I wouldn't even have any time for myself anymore.

"Is this understood?" he added and immediately, I nodded my head.

Having a place to stay and money to spend on my own did sound like it was worth watching Xing. Heck, I would watch Xing for free if I had the option, but he wasn't going to allow that and I knew that.

"Here," He took out some papers in his brief case, which was beside him, and handed them to me.

Looking at them, confusion expressed on my face, I turned to him. "What are they?"

"Documents that I want you to read through and sign off that you agree to everything that has been said. It's just more in detail on the documents."

I was only 17 and I was already signing my rights off to some strange man. I couldn't do this. I couldn't care about how much of a great deal this may be because it screamed danger for some reason. Even so, I skimmed through some of the sentences on the papers, seeing everything in details. I turned to the last page to see the last rule, which was number 64. Did he really type up 64 rules for this?

It was all the basic rules though; the responsibilities that I would have to take up and what he expected from me as a person. What I was allowed to do and what not to do. I didn't have a problem with any of the rules because for the most part, I was a good girl and never got into trouble. I didn't curse, do drugs, drink underage, and commit any crimes, so I was fine with all of the rules.

Nothing inappropriate was requested on the contract, so that made me feel relieved. There was one rule that bothered me though on the contract. It was rule number 56...

I pointed to rule number 56, which read 'You are not allowed to leave the house unless you ask for my permission.'

"Is this rule really necessary, Mr. Li? I don't mean to be disrespectful in any way towards you, but it feels more like you're trying to be my dad or something. There will be days that I have off, as mentioned on the contract, so why would I not be allowed to leave unless I ask for your permission?"

"I would like to know your whereabouts at all times. If something comes up, I will know where to go to get in contact with you. I need you available at all times, aside from your school and activities time, because things come up at the office. I need to know if you are getting into any trouble. I need you to remain a good example for Xing. I won't tolerate any type of inappropriate behaviors from you."

It was reasonable, but I still didn't like it one bit because I still felt like his child.

"If I'm agreeing to all of the other rules, doesn't that make this rule irrelevant?"

Mr. Li glared at me and I flinched back, a little, knowing I has offended him. "Are you insulting my rules?" he asked coldly.

My eyes widened. "Of course not, Mr. Li! I didn't mean it like that. I just…it's a little weird for me is all. I've been living alone, without any adult supervision for the past few months, so I'm not used to letting other's know where I am," I hurriedly explained myself, feeling ashamed for the rude statement.

I hadn't meant to insult him, but it was just a thought that was nagging at me.

"The rule will remain on the list," he finalized.

I frowned at that, knowing he wouldn't change his mind about it. "They're my days off though, Mr. Li," I tried reasoning with him.

"That does not mean that you can run off and go get into any kind of trouble. The first rule clearly states that you have to remain a positive example for Xing."

I sighed, giving up because I knew that he wasn't going to change his mind about it. Though I gave up on convincing him otherwise, I secretly decided that I wouldn't follow through with that rule. An uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that the rule wasn't right. He wasn't my guardian and I refused to let him think that I was some weakling kid who needed her parents help.

We sat in silence for a while and it was killing me, so I turned to him shyly.

"Would you like to walk around, Mr. Li? I've never been here before, so it would be nice to look around."

Mr. Li looked around the park before nodding his head, standing up.

We were at Yoyogi Park and it looked so beautiful; even though it was close to fall. The best time to go to this park was in the spring when the cherry blossoms were blooming, I had heard. I couldn't figure out why he chose this place, but I was happy that he did.

I eagerly stood up beside him and he began walking, so I followed up behind him, taking everything in that my eyes could.

Goosebumps broke out on my skin, feeling Mr. Li's eyes watching my every move and reaction to the things I saw.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked suddenly and my trance broke.

"U-Uh…just a year. Touya and I decided to move here a year after everything happened with my dad. We wanted to get away because there were so many memories back in Tomoeda, our home town. Everything reminded us of him, so we came to the conclusion that a new place and setting would do us good."

I didn't mind speaking freely to him about my family because he already knew everything about my background, considering the fact that he did his research on his own without my permission. A response never came though, and that made me feel a little nervous. Whenever he was quiet after something I said, it always made me feel like I said or did something wrong, even though I hadn't.

Instead of letting the awkward silence remain, I decided to break it. "Xing is a really good kid, from what I've experienced with him. He's very sweet and intelligent." A soft and warming smile formed on my lips, thinking about the little boy. I could feel Mr. Li's eyes on me again.

"You're doing a great job with him," I complimented and he looked away.

I could have sworn I saw his cheeks color a bit, but it was only for a split second. He just made a grunting sound.

I looked up at him to see the displeased look on his face. I sighed and shook my head. I just couldn't do anything right by him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li. I can be very talky sometimes and speak my mind quite often. I don't mean any harm by it, so I hope that you can forgive me." I bowed my head slightly towards him.

"Lift your head up," he commanded, with a less harsh tone this time.

I obliged to his command and smiled at him, apologetically. We crossed the bridge and I looked over at the water, mesmerized by the reflection of the trees in it.

"You apologize too much," Mr. Li stated, keeping his eyes straight ahead of us.

"I'm sorry. I just don't like for anyone to be upset with me." I smiled at him sweetly even though he wasn't looking at me.

Mr. Li never responded as he looked around the park, appearing to be deep in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about.

"Xing told me that you guys weren't from here, so where are you guys from?" I asked after a while, even though I already knew the answer to that question.

I hated the silence between us though. It always felt like a knife could cut through the thick tension between us.

Mr. Li gave me a weird look and I looked down to my shoes, shyly.

"Hong Kong."

He always gave short, brief answers whenever I asked him a question and I hated it. He was trying not to have to interact with me much, but I felt like I had the right to know him just as much as he knew about me. How would he feel if I decided to look him up and invade his privacy?

"Are you guys going to be down here long?" I decided to ask after being silent for a few seconds.

"Yes."

"How long?"

"However long it is necessary."

I sighed again and put my hands in front of me, holding them securely together. I didn't know why I was even trying with him. He wouldn't give anything away and I was perfectly fine with that. I silently reminded myself to thank Kenta for everything he told me earlier.

"Have you told Xing about the arrangement yet?" I decided to ask, testing to see if this would work on him.

"Not yet, but I plan to talk to him today about it. He won't have any problems with it though since he's drawn to you."

I smiled and nodded before looking up at the sky. Just as I thought, he spoke more whenever it came to our arrangement. He was all about business and that was okay with me. I could deal with that because I was only here for Xing anyway. I was only doing this for Xing, though I was receiving benefits out of it.

If Mr. Li didn't give Xing as much attention as I think Xing deserved, I would give it to him without hesitations.

"When will everything be settled then?"

"As soon as you sign that contract, it will be. I'll give you as long as you need in the hotel until you decide whether or not you want to do this."

I nodded, in deep thought. I really didn't know if I should do this or not.

"We should head back. Kenta should be here by the time we get back to the bench."

I nodded again and followed Mr. Li back to the bench, in complete silence.

When we arrived to our destination, Kenta was indeed waiting there for me as Mr. Li said he would.

He pulled out the papers in the brief case and handed them to me again. "Read over the rules again."

I took them from him and nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Li." I bowed my head, politely.

He walked with me and Kenta back to the car, talking in Chinese to Kenta. I was slightly irritated because I didn't understand anything they were saying and that was the reason Mr. Li probably chose to do so.

When we arrived to the car, Mr. Li opened the car door for me and I slid inside. He closed the door and motioned for Kenta to roll the window down, which he did.

"I will see you in a few days. Don't make me wait like you did this time. I expect you to be on time." He turned to Kenta, silently warning him as well.

"Yes, sir," both Kenta and I said at the same time, stiffly.

Mr. Li tapped the top of the car and Kenta drove off.

I let out the breath that I was not even aware that I was holding around him.

"How was it?" Kenta asked.

I looked at him to see a small smirk on his face. "Do you want me to describe it in sentences or just one word?" I asked and he chuckled at that.

"Hmm…" he said as if he were in deep thought. "One word."

"Intimidating," I said simply, without hesitation.

"Just the word I was expecting from you. He's that type of person, so get used to it if you decide to stick around." Kenta chuckled again and I inwardly groaned.

I had been battling with my mind all day if I was going to stick around. One side was already talking like it agreed to it, while the other was saying that this whole arrangement was insane.

Which should I choose and what was the right thing to do?

Was there a wrong and right move to this decision I was going to have to make?

I groaned out loud this time and Kenta laughed, seeming to understand my inner battle that was going on in my head.

The next few days were going to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought they would be.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for the reviews!**

 **What did you guys think of it this chapter?**

 **This chapter was more...positive because I wanted to brighten the mood of the story since the first 3 chapters were kind of a downer, but I don't want to rush anything in this story!**

 **Please leave more reviews about your thoughts about the story! I accept flames too!**

 **Ja ne!**


	5. Promises Made

**"Promises Made"**

* * *

I was going to do it.

That was the ultimate decision and there was nothing that could change it anymore. I think I had changed my mind over one hundred times within the last few days, than I had in my entire life.

Xing and having a place to stay was what had set my answer in stone and won me over.

Mr. Li was on his way to the hotel right now to find out my final answer and I was so nervous.  
I didn't know why he didn't want to meet somewhere like the park again. Somewhere so private and personal sounded so dangerous, but he insisted on finalizing everything here.

I was currently pacing back and forth in my room, trying to calm my nerves down but to my avail, I was achieving nothing.

Mr. Li had to have lost his mind appointing for us to seal the deal here. What was he trying to do anyway? Did he have something planned that I wouldn't approve of? Of course not, Sakura.

I hadn't even spoken to Xing since the day we met and I was concurring to his father's request without his permission. I felt slightly guilty that I didn't get the opportunity to talk to him about any of this.

I walked to the desk and picked up the stack of papers Mr. Li had given me a few days ago. All of them were read through and signed, agreeing to give him all of my rights. Maybe I was the one who had lost my mind.

A firm knock on my door halted me in my tracks, already knowing who it was because of the way the knock made me feel. I could just tell whenever he came around. There wasn't any other person who could make me nervous like this; make my skin burn with desire from a single look. It was Mr. Li standing there with a smug look on his face, even though I couldn't see it now.

Maybe I could pretend I wasn't here and wait for him to leave…

Another knock came to the door, except firmer this time.

On cue, I ran to the door and grabbed the knob. He wasn't going to leave because he knew that I was here. He always seemed to know where I was, even if I was just going for a walk around town. It was kind of weird and unnerving.

I opened the door slowly to see a scowl on his face before he pushed his way through the door without my permission.

I scoffed and closed the door after he came in. "A simple, 'hey' or a 'how are you?' would've been fine," I said calmly, turning to him.

"You lost that privilege after you ignored the first knock and made me wait outside of the door."  
My eyes looked down to the floor, trying to calm myself down. He was the one giving me a place to stay for the past few days, so I could ignore his rude attitude for this one time.

After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke. "You signed the papers." He held up the papers from the desk, scanning his eyes through them.

I bit my lip lightly, not knowing what to say to that. My heart was beating loudly against my chest, thinking about what could occur between us in this hotel room. Alone. With the doors closed. I felt a little frightened by that, but thrilled at the same time. Would he try something like Mr. Hiyoshi did the other day? Why was I even thinking about this?

"Yes," I finally spoke after contemplating what I should say to him. There was always a right and wrong answer when it came to answering him.

He sat the papers back down on the desk and turned to me.

My breath caught in my throat as I felt his eyes on me. Neither of us spoke a word to each other as we stared at each other. It was nearly killing me.

I cleared my throat when I saw his eyes drift down from my face to some other place I probably didn't even want to know. It wasn't like I had anything inappropriate on. In fact, it was a green tank top that covered more than enough and shorts that only came a few inches above my knees. I was relieved when his eyes shifted back to mine.

"I…I put a lot of thought into it after reading through everything. I want to do it—this," I motioned to the papers on the desk.

I hesitantly walked towards him where the desk was and picked the papers back up; handing them to him so he could see that I had signed the papers even though he already knew. I just needed to find something to do to distract the feeling that I had being in the room alone with him. It was beyond awkward and tense in the room. The door wasn't locked, so if I wanted to, I could escape. The question was, why wasn't I trying to if I was really scared?

Why was I stuck in this room with this attractive man anyway? And why did my mind keep reminding me that I was alone with an attractive man?

My heart was drumming against my chest so hard that he could probably hear it. My eyes travelled up to his hair, which was disheveled more than usual. Going down, the suit he had on wasn't doing anything to better my racing heart.

He took the papers from my hand.

I stopped breathing as his hand brushed against mine a little and I automatically pulled my hand back from the papers. There was no way this man couldn't hear my heart beating so loudly against my chest. He probably thought that I was an idiot.

He looked through them again and nodded his head before returning his eyes to mine. "Everything is settled then. All of your things will be moved in today—"

"Xing's okay with this, right?" I interrupted and he looked at me skeptically.

My cheeks warmed, feeling his gaze on me again. Why could I not get used to that?

"I just want to make sure that he is okay with all of this," I added, to answer his silent question.

"Yes…"

The silence slapped us both in the face again as we stared at each other. I began to notice how beautiful and entrancing his amber orbs really were. I mean, I knew they were attractive, but now, everything seemed different about him.

I never had the chance to look at how beautiful he really was, so my eyes were taking in everything that they could.

They traveled up to his disheveled, chestnut hair again, then down to his forehead where his hair hung loosely over his eyes. His slim, sharp nose even appeared to be perfect and his lips…

My eyes wouldn't leave the set for a second, even though I had tried. His lips were so full…red, full lips that looked kissable.

My cheeks burned at that thought, not believing I actually thought that before my eyes traveled down to his strong-defined jaw. He looked like a fine piece of art that God spent extra time on. I almost envied the perfection that radiated off the man.

My eyes began to travel back up to his lips until a throat was cleared. My eyes snapped back to his intense gaze. He was glaring at me now and my cheeks burned even more, being caught red-handed.

"We should leave. I will have someone sent here to bring your things to my home."

"W-we're leaving now?"

He looked at me questioningly. "Yes, let's go."

He made it to the door immediately, walking out before I could even respond. I slipped a pair of shoes on quickly and ran out behind him. What was his problem? There was nothing wrong with admiring how someone looked. Maybe he felt uncomfortable with a "little girl" doing it...

After catching up to him, he made sure to keep a good distance between us, confusing me. It wasn't like I was trying to harm him or anything, so why was he acting so protective all of a sudden?

When we reached his car, he went to his side of the car and unlocked the doors. I opened it and slid inside with him quickly.

The atmosphere in the car was even more tense than it was in the room a few minutes ago. Maybe because we were more secluded here—I didn't know.

He started the car and the tension only grew, so I decided to break the silence, to end both of our misery. "Can you turn the radio on, Mr. Li?"

He motioned to the radio for me to turn it on and immediately, I complied to it. I switched the station several times before leaving it on the Tokyo's pop station.

I looked over at him, for his approval and he seemed to sense me staring so he shrugged his shoulders as if saying, 'I don't care.'

I smiled and sat back in the seat, feeling relieved. I finally did something right by the man. On a better note, I would be seeing Xing again today and tomorrow, and the next day and the many days to come after that. I almost squealed in excitement, but held it back. Mr. Li wouldn't be too pleased with my behavior if I started acting like a child excited for Christmas morning.

We were driving for 15 minutes until he pulled up to a medium-sized house, in a beautiful neighborhood.

I gaped at the beauty of it all, having never seen anything like the place before in a while. There were kids playing outside with their dogs and other pets; parents talking to each other, while keeping an eye out for their kids.

The neighborhood depicted to be welcoming, but fascinating at the same time, especially the house that we were currently in front of. It had to be Mr. Li's since we were currently in the driveway of it.

It was a white-bricked, two-story house that wasn't too big, but bigger than the other houses around the neighborhood. The drive-way was beautiful with its gray bricks and the grass was a vibrant green with a nice, straight cut around the yard.

Mr. Li pressed a button in his car and the garage door started to slide up slowly. He drove into the garage before turning the car off.

The garage was very huge inside and spacious, but there were a lot of things in it. It seemed as if Mr. Li hadn't had the time to unpack everything when they first moved here.

I heard the door open on his side and I looked in the direction and saw that he was getting out, so I hurriedly unbuckled my seat belt and followed suit.

"Tomorrow you will start the job. When we get in the house, I will go over everything that you need to know about your duties with Xing again." He took a look at his watch and nodded his head before continuing. "Right now, he should be sleeping, so it's the perfect time to discuss everything."

I nodded and followed behind him as we went into the house from the garage door.

The house looked even more beautiful inside with all of the portraits on the walls.

We walked through several areas in the house which I assumed were the living room, dining room, and down the hall way.

He unlocked the door to a room we were currently in front of then pushed the door opened. The room was white with black carpeting on the floor and it consisted of a medium-sized desk, a few file cabinets, and a mini couch. On the desk, there were a lot of papers neatly stacked with a small lamp, a laptop, and a portrait of Xing hugging a teddy-bear tightly.

It looked similar to my dad's study, so that must have been what this was.

He motioned to a chair near the desk so I sat in it. He closed the door before coming over to the desk and looking through a few of the neatly stacked papers.

His close proximity to me caused my cheeks to warm a little as my nose was invaded by his scent again. It was the same as it was a couple of days ago and I realized that I would probably never grow tired of it.

He sat down on the mini couch before reaching over with one hand and grabbed the middle of the chair between my slightly parted knees and pulled the rolling chair closer to him.

My cheeks grew hotter, feeling the heat of his hand between my thighs before he pulled it back.

"You don't want Xing finding out about this arrangement, right? His room is across the hall from this one, so we have to speak quietly. The little mischievous thing can hear everything he's not supposed to."

I nodded and cleared my throat to find my voice. "I understand."

He stared at me hard for a minute before looking down at the papers in his hand. "Xing wakes up in the mornings at seven o'clock sharp every single day. When he wakes up, which is early sometimes, you can just watch him, until Ms. Hana comes to feed him. You're expected to have him ready to be trained by his martial arts trainer. He comes at approximately 8:55 every single morning, so be prepared to answer the door for him," he said, looking at me. I nodded before he continued.

"After his training session is done, you are to have him bathed and dressed for the day. He has television time, but only for an hour in the morning. The rest of the time until 12, you can decide that but be sure to give him something small to eat during that time. At 12, his tutor will come by and stay until three o'clock. Within that time, he has lunch at one. He naps after the tutor leaves at three and wakes up an hour later. My original time to get off is at five, but I work late sometimes. Dinner is at six o'clock and after that, he has free time until eight o' clock when you will have him cleaned and ready for bed. At nine, he is expected to be in bed and asleep."

I stared at him incredulously, wondering if he expected me to remember all of that. That was a lot to do in one day.

"U-uh…how would you feel if I asked you to repeat all of that one more time?" I asked very lowly, feeling my cheeks warm a little.

"Here is the schedule." He handed me the papers in his hand. "That has everything that you need to know on it. I was just going over it with you first to make sure you understand everything."

I let out the breath that I didn't even know I was holding and took the papers from him. "Okay good. I don't think I could remember all of that in one go."

He nodded, keeping his eyes on me. "Your days off are Saturday and Sunday. Those are the days that I don't normally have to work. However, if I need to go into the office, I expect you to watch him for me until I get home."

"Yes, sir. What if I'm already out and about at the time?"

He sat there for a few minutes, as if he were thinking about my question. "Then you come home, but if you can't, then I will just take Xing to the office with me."

A frown tugged at my lips as I thought about how Xing would be at the office all day by himself, waiting for his dad to come back for him. I didn't want that at all for him so I would try my best to get back to him.

"Yes, Mr. Li. Is there anything else that I should be aware of?" I asked after we were silent for a minute.

Mr. Li sat still for a minute, looking deep in thought as his lips pursed slightly. My eyes were stuck on his lips and I could feel my cheeks warming again.

'Look away, idiot!' my inner voice yelled at me, but my eyes wouldn't agree with it.

When my eyes left his lips, they went up to meet the eyes that were glaring at me. Had he seen me staring at his lips?

"You know how I feel about your lack of response, Ms. Kinomoto."

Had he said something?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li, but did you say something?" I asked and felt my body stiffen when he glared at me again.

"You need to break these habits now that you're staying here. I won't tolerate your lack of attention span. You are almost 18, so the childishness needs to stop," he chastised me and my eyes shifted to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li—"

The door burst opened to reveal Xing. I was so grateful to see him at that moment.

"Sakura!"

He ran over to me and tackled me out of the chair, wrapping his arms and legs around me tightly. I hugged him back with a smile on my face.

"I missed you so much! You're going to be here with me forever now, right? You aren't leaving me again, right? We can play every day now, right? We can watch my favorite shows together and build more buildings! OH! You can drive in my car now, too?!"

Xing didn't stop the many questions that he had so I laughed out loud, ruffling his already disheveled hair.

"I missed you too, Xing. Yes and one thousand yes's to your many questions asked," I said after he had stopped to take a breath.

"Oh, I'm so happy!"

I heard someone clearing their throat and we both turned our heads in the direction of it.

"Xing, you know better than to burst through my office doors like that," Mr. Li said looking down at us both on the floor with an amused expression on his face.

"But I heard Sakura's voice and I couldn't stand waiting so long to come in."

I stiffened under him, wondering what he had heard.

Mr. Li gave me a questioning look before turning his eyes back to Xing. "Xing get off of Ms. Kinomoto, so she can stand."

Xing did as he was told and pulled on my hand, attempting to help me up. I smiled at him, silently thanking him as I ruffled his hair again and he pouted as usual.

"Let's go to the living room," Mr. Li said looking at me.

I nodded my head and Xing didn't seem to care about it as he followed us out of his study, holding my hand.

"Ms. Kinomoto will be staying here from now on, as I told you before. I expect you to treat her with respect and listen to her whenever she tells you to do something, just as you do with me. Is that understood?" Mr. Li asked after we were sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Yes sir!" Xing said excitedly as he jumped into my lap, hugging me around my neck tightly.

I smiled and gently loosened his arms around my neck because I could barely breathe. Thankfully, he took the hint and lxoosened his hold around my neck.

"Do you have to get back to work, Daddy?"

Xing and I both turned to Mr. Li and a blush crept onto my cheeks when I noticed him staring at me with a weird glint in his eyes.

"No. I took the rest of the evening off."

Xing's eyes widened at that and he jumped off my lap, standing in front of Mr. Li, grabbing his hands. "So I can be with Sakura _and_ Daddy today?" he asked incredulously. He looked so adorable with that hopeful expression on his face.

Mr. Li nodded and a small smile tugged on his lip before it immediately disappeared. Was that all he was capable of?

"Yes, that's right."

Xing jumped in Mr. Li's arms, hugging him tightly. "I'm so happy!"

Mr. Li ruffled his hair and pulled him back gently, looking at him in the eyes. "I need to show Ms. Kinomoto around since she's going to be staying here."

"Oh! Can I help? She's going to love my room!" Xing said excitedly.

It was weird how they were having a conversation about me, in front of me.

Mr. Li nodded and stood up from the couch, resting Xing on his feet. I looked up at him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

I stared at him for a while, confused about what he was asking.

"Do you not want me to show you around? You need to keep up, Ms. Kinomoto."

Oh!

I blushed from embarrassment and stood from the couch, feeling his eyes on me.

How could he make me feel so dumb and little with the way he looked and talked to me? It wasn't like I had done anything to make him dislike me. All the glaring and mean comments to make me feel less about myself wasn't even necessary.

I let a sigh escape my body as I shook my head from the thoughts. There was no use in getting down and depressed about the man's attitude because it wasn't like I could do anything about it.

Mr. Li started the 'tour' of the house with the living room and it went on from there.

After 15 minutes of showing me around, I had the entire house engraved in my brain.

There was the living room, which was quite beautiful with all of the portraits on the wall and the Chinese embellishments around the room. The couch was black and there was a table in the middle of the living room with a flat screen television up on the wall. There were a few photos in the living room with Xing and Mr. Li together, but I didn't get to see all of them because we ended up going to the next room.

He showed me around the kitchen, which was nothing too different from a regular kitchen. From there, he showed me the many rooms that were downstairs, which were guest rooms or rooms that he used for specific things. There were even rooms upstairs that weren't occupied by anything and rooms that I wasn't allowed to go in for whatever reason that he wouldn't give.

My room was downstairs, down the hall from Xing's. Everything was in place with the queen-sized bed and drawers with a TV. There was a small desk on one side of the room and a door that connected to the room. The color of the room was pink. Had he expected me to say yes to the proposition or did he just simply have a pink room for any female that would come to stay here?

We were now in his backyard and it was huge. He had an amazing pool, with a section for the hot tub not too far from it. There was even a place back here for his garden on the sides. He didn't strike me for the gardening type, but I guess he was.

"Isn't the pool awesome? We swim in it every weekend, right Daddy?" Xing turned to Mr. Li excitedly.

"It's not every weekend, Xing." Mr. Li gave him a pointed look and Xing sighed.

"Fine, but we do swim on the weekends if Daddy isn't busy?" Xing looked at him, questioningly. He was trying to get his approval of his statement and it was just too cute.

Mr. Li nodded and Xing smiled widely at that. "Yes! So now you're going to join us, right?" Xing turned to me.

I shrugged and let out a giggle. "I don't know, Xing. This isn't necessarily my home so I can't just come here and invade your family time."

"But…it's your home now too. Isn't it, Daddy? She will live here with us, so it's her home too." Xing turned to Mr. Li looking very confused.

Mr. Li didn't respond for a while, looking dumbfounded. It nearly shocked me to the core.

Mr. Li was speechless in front of me for the first time! It was sad to say, but I was so happy about that. The same arrogant and intimidating man was dumbfounded by his own son.

"If your Dad allows me to swim with you, then I would be happy to join you." I smiled down at Xing before ruffling his hair. He pouted as usual and swatted my hands away, mumbling something about messing up his hair.

"Daddy, will she be able to?" Xing turned to him with those puppy dog eyes again.

"You're asking too many questions, Xing. Ms. Kinomoto should be the one asking all of the questions, considering she's the one being shown around," Mr. Li said.

When Xing's face dropped, my heart fell to the bottom of my stomach with it.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to be rude," Xing said, looking to the ground sadly as he turned to me.

"You don't have to apologize to me about anything, Xing. It's okay though. I forgive you."

"Xing, where is Ms. Hana?"

"She's upstairs in one of the guest rooms sleeping. She told me that she was going to nap before I went to sleep."

Who was Ms. Hana?

"She's the one who cooks and clean around the house," Mr. Li said, answering the question that I had.

"Oh…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say. He had a house maid to do all of his house duties?

"Your things should be here in a few hours. We can discuss your payments a little later when Xing goes to bed. And Ms. Kinomoto."

I turned and looked up to him questioningly. "Yes?"

"I don't expect this arrangement between us to get out," he finally said with a dangerously low tone after Xing had gone over to the pool, running his fingers through the water and splashing.

I stared at him, wondering exactly what he meant before nodding my head slowly. "Yes sir."

"Good. I need to finish some things back in my study, so keep an eye out for Xing. Dinner will be at six."

He walked back in the house without waiting for my response as usual.

I sighed and shook my head, not even in the mood to figure out what he meant. I walked over to Xing and stooped down beside him, near the pool.

"We're going to have lots of fun, aren't we Sakura?" Xing looked at me smiling widely with his hands still in the water.

I smiled at him sweetly before nodding my head. "Of course we will."

He tackled me to the ground, hugging me tightly, getting my tank top slightly wet from his hands. "I'm just so happy!"

I felt my shoulders starting to get warm and slightly damp, so I pulled him back gently to see tears in his eyes. I started to panic, touching his cheeks to wipe away the tears, wondering if I did something wrong to cause him to feel sad.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked, worried before I glanced back at the door quickly to make sure Mr. Li hadn't returned.

"I'm just so happy that you're here. I thought that I would see you never again."

A sad smile formed on his lips and he buried his face in my shoulders again, holding onto me tightly.

I felt my eyes start to water a little for the little angel in my arms. What kind of impression did I leave on him to make him feel this way about me?

He pulled back slightly so he could look me in the eyes with his teary eyes. "Promise me that you won't leave me again! You can't leave like everyone else does because I won't allow it!"

My eyes widened and I pulled him back to me so I could hug him. "I promise I won't ever leave no matter what, Xing." There was much more truth to that statement than I had even realized.

I heard him sniffing in my shirt, so I pulled him back slightly and saw that he still had tears in his eyes. I wiped them away but they kept falling from his amber eyes.

"You have to stop crying, Xing. Seeing these tears doesn't make Sakura happy." I smiled at him sadly and he immediately wiped the tears away.

"I promise I won't cry anymore then. Will that make you stay?" He forced a smile on his face.

I held out my pinky for him and he linked his with mine. "It's a deal then. I won't leave you ever again and you won't cry anymore," I finalized.

He nodded his head eagerly. "Deal!"

I sat him down so I could stand up from the ground and help him up.

"Would you like to see pictures of me when I was a little baby?" Xing looked up at me, smiling.

"Now how could I miss a chance of doing that? Of course I do!" I said and he grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the house excitedly.

I didn't know what had happened to make him say such a thing, but I knew that I couldn't ever leave his side. I didn't want to see those tears in his eyes again either. I would do everything in my will to make sure that those tears were never seen again because of me.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites!**

 **I hope that you guys liked this chapter and would let me know your thoughts on it in a review! :D**

 **The next chapter will be in the infamous, Li Syaoran's Point of view!**

 **Ja ne!**


	6. The Move

**"The Move"**

* * *

The proposition with the Hiroshi Corporation was already panning out to be a success, just as I suspected it would be.

We had been planning to merge the corporations together since theirs were currently undergoing bankruptcy. Without my assistance, their company would be no longer, thus giving me the upper hand in the proposition that was presented to them.

The original proposition was to convince them into selling their company over to me, handing down all their manufactures. However, the stubborn man never gave in to the request. So instead of buying the company from him, we agreed on merging theirs with mine.

I would be the new CEO of his company while he worked under me since I was the one getting the corporation out of their own shit that they caused. Did they not know that selling all their products, then borrowing from another company built up over time?

Shaking my head from the thoughts, I sighed. It already took a tremendous amount of time to get the stubborn man to give in to the idea of letting us merge them.

The benefits on my part were far greater than his in the proposition, even though I had somehow managed to make them believe otherwise, so it was okay.

There were just a few more things that needed to be done to convince the man to give all rights in his company to me, then the case would be closed. He wasn't giving in as easy as I thought he would though.

I sighed; feeling a little annoyed thinking about the proposition between the companies. There were better things that needed to be done—like replying to these emails that I had been doing for the past hour.

After replying to the last one, I closed the laptop, calling it a day for work.

I had promised Xing that I had taken the rest of the day off to be with him, but here I was, still concerning myself with work matters. I really needed to do better with spending time with the boy. As the days progressed, it seemed like I was spending less and less time with him. After the business proposition with the Hiroshi Corporation was finalized, I would just have to do better.

Shaking my head from the thoughts, I reached for the papers on my desk and began searching through them. It didn't take long for me to find the papers I had been searching for.

The girl had really signed them to live here with me and my son. She really was naïve, trusting a stranger so easily when being invited into a home she wasn't familiar with. Her life could be in more danger than any of our lives in this house, yet she looked past that piece of knowledge. What kind of trouble had she been in before?

There was no way that no one had already taken advantage of the girl. She had been living alone in Tokyo for the past few months. There were all types of sick-minded people living here, so someone has had to have corrupted her by now.

That asshole of a landlord had almost made it to the plate, but had no such luck. If he was going to do it, he should have chosen better timing.

She was an ignorant girl who needed to be taught a lesson about life before she caused any damage to herself or anyone else around her.

 _Xing_.

My fists clenched, thinking about the dangers the ignorant girl could put my son in. She couldn't be trusted even though I had already given her the permission to stay here and watch him. After some inner conflicts with myself, I came to the conclusion that I would have someone else around when I wasn't, to keep an eye out for both of them.

It was hard keeping tabs on the girl already. Even though I had given her a temporary place to stay, she barely remained in the hotel during the time. She was always out somewhere, doing god-knows what with who knows what. For all I was aware of, she could have been involved with prostitution on the down-low.

My eyes closed, hoping to get rid of the disgusting thoughts that were running through my head.

That was nothing to concern myself with, besides the fact that she could be a danger to my son. The only reason that she was here was because of Xing anyway. The boy was attached to her the first day they met and didn't stop talking about her even after she had left. She was the only woman that Xing allowed to remain in his presence for that long the first day they had met. He was very fond of her, even though he knew nothing about her. It was as if they had known each other for years when I witnessed him interacting with her that day.

It was a little frightening how attached he was, but he had never mistaken anything like this before even though he was only four-years-old. That was why I had to check her out myself before having her around him. There had to be something about her for Xing to like her so much. Maybe she was involved in some type of voodoo shit, putting spells on my son.

I almost chuckled at the thought, but quickly disregarded the outrageous idea. Besides, there were benefits that I received out of the entire arrangement as well.

It had been made quite clear that she shouldn't expect more than what I was willing to give—which was money. She knew that there would be nothing inappropriate going on and she was rather relieved when I laid emphasis on it, to my dismay.

It was guaranteed that nothing inappropriate would happen, but she didn't have to seem so relieved about it, was what offended me. What was wrong with being interested in me anyway? I was fairly attractive. I received compliments on a daily basis, so I couldn't look that bad.

Knowing that she wasn't interested was a good thing though, so there was no use in feeling riled up about that. At least she wouldn't try to meddle her way into my business. I didn't have to worry about her starting any rumors because she made it quite clear that she was just here for Xing.

It was a win-win situation, just as I told her. She had a place to stay, while I had someone to keep an eye on Xing. She was also of the opposite sex, so she could be a good female figure in Xing's life. Not necessarily a mother figure, but someone he could look up to as a female. He barely had any interactions with women besides my annoying sisters—and that was only because they forced themselves on him.

While it was a good thing for her to be in his life, I did need to talk to her about the way she was with him. I didn't like it one bit earlier because it was too motherly—which was the last thing that it needed to be. The route that she was taking would have Xing confused, whether she was being intentional or not.

I would have to talk to them both separately about it. Especially Xing so he didn't get any ideas in that head of his. He was such a mischievous kid and I didn't even know where he inherited it from. His mother wasn't like that and I certainly was anything but that.

He was the reason why the girl was here in the first place, after all. He always somehow got rid of all the females that I had around. I didn't know how he did it, but he either made them quit or exposed them to me. I was lucky enough to have a four-year-old child who was so observant.

If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have known that those women were treating him like shit and out to destroy my name. They were never there for him and he always seemed to sense that. Some of the women even went as far as spreading to the media that I was sleeping with them, which was never the case. In my world, women would do any and everything for money and fame.

Luckily, Kinomoto didn't seem like that, but I would be a fool to let my guard down and think so highly of her. She could be a serpent like the rest of them.

The only problem that I had to worry about right now was the media. If they found out about a 17-year-old girl was staying with me, they would assume the worse. Their twisted, fucked-up minds would ruin my family name, along with Kinomoto's name alone. They couldn't find out about her for sure. If word got back to mother, things wouldn't turn out so pretty.

I sat the papers down and stood from the desk, trying not to even think about that. She was the last person that needed to find out about the girl.

I walked out of the office and down the halls, until I heard Xing's voice which stopped me in my tracks.

"Oh! Look at this one here. Daddy said that I made a big mess with the cake!" He always sounded so excited, talking to her. It was a good thing, but caused a bad feeling in me.

I slowly approached the living room entrance, until I saw Kinomoto sitting on the floor with Xing sitting between her legs and their backs facing me.

"Aww! You look so adorable here," she pointed to something in the book he was holding.

"Oh! This was my costume for Halloween last year!"

They were looking at the photo album book.

My eyes drifted to the head of auburn locks. If she were facing this way, I would be able to have a glimpse of her eyes.

They were the purest shade of emerald gems that I had ever seen. It should have been a sin to have that much purity radiating off of a person.

My fists clenched on their own as my eyes slowly drifted down to the naked skin on her neck. It looked so smooth and delicate to the point if someone came in contact with it, it would bruise easily. My eyes travelled down her neck slowly, studying the curve where her neck met her shoulder. The tank top she had on was just a tease. Why the hell would she wear such an exposing piece of material anyway? She was in a stranger's house. It nearly pissed me off, yet my eyes didn't stop their wandering. I let them stray down her naked arms, wondering how it was even possible for skin to look that delicious. Her waist was small, so small that it almost looked unhealthy. She really did need help because there was no way that she could have survived on her own for another month.

My eyes began to trail lower until my conscious prevented them from going any further, chastising me for checking the girl out. It was like my eyes had a mind of their own whenever she was around. It was always a habit to check out a girl of **age** whenever one was around, but it was different with her. I couldn't help but take in everything she showed me.

I walked over to the two and cleared my throat to get their attentions. They both looked up at me simultaneously, with those innocent eyes. My eyes locked with the emerald pair though, causing an annoying tug in the bottom of my stomach.

"Xing, go and wake Ms. Hana. Play in your room for a bit after that. I need to talk to Ms. Kinomoto about something important."

Her body stiffened at the mention of me needing to talk to her alone. A smirk almost tugged at my lip, but I didn't let it happen.

She was scared of me for whatever reason. As terrible as it may sound, I liked that piece of knowledge that I picked up on. It made me feel like I had the upper hand in every situation with her. Everything would turn out the way I desired it to be because I would say so. That was just an additional reason to having her presence in my house.

"Yes sir! I'll see you later, Sakura!"

Xing hugged her tightly before placing a kiss on her cheek. I had the urge to snatch him up from her and bring him to my side, but withheld it.

She smiled at him and hugged him back tightly and patted his head lightly before patting him off in the direction I instructed him to go. The moment he disappeared, the tension in the room grew thick, something that it always did.

Back at that hotel, it felt like I was digging my own grave. The only reason I had chosen to settle things there was because I didn't want any ears to hear about the arrangement. This whole thing needed to remain a secret and I couldn't risk sealing the deal in public for thousands of ears to hear. The idea about doing it at the hotel alone was outrageous too, but what other options did I have? Was I trying to get myself in trouble?

She turned back to me and stood from the floor, keeping her eyes cast down.

Even though I enjoyed having the upper hand in everything, it irritated me when she didn't present eye contact with me. It was frustrating because I needed to see those eyes while talking to her. They always triggered something in me.

I glared at her and on cue, her head automatically snapped up in my direction. Her cheeks tinted with crimson hues when her eyes locked with mine.

"There was something that I should've said before this arrangement was settled, Ms. Kinomoto."

She nodded her head, slightly.

I gave her a pointed look and she cleared her throat before speaking. I didn't know why she had this habit of not using her voice when it was a gift given to her. There were so many people that didn't have that privilege and she wasn't even taking advantage of hers.

"W-what is it? And you may just call me Kinomoto. You don't have to be so formal with me."

I ignored that piece of information and continued on, talking about the matter at hand. "I want to discuss how your relationship with Xing should be," I said in a hushed tone.

Her expression changed into one of confusion at the mention of the topic.

"I'm his nanny," she stated simply.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Exactly. That's as far as it'll get. I don't want you to think that your role in his life is anything more than that."

She gasped during mid-sentence and my eyes landed on her lips, instinctively.

"Heaven's no! I would never try to replace Xing's mother if that's what you're implying." Her voice rose defensively.

I glared at her before taking a step closer to her, being sure to keep my voice in a hushed tone. "Keep your damn voice down, woman," I hissed at her.

Her eyes shifted to the floor like a guilty child who stole a cookie from the jar. "I'm sorry...I just...how could you think I'd try to do something like that?" Her voice was laced with so much hurt that it almost made me feel guilty.

Almost.

My eyes remained on her form until she finally looked up at me with tears in her eyes, threatening to spill.

"I never said you would. I just wanted to make sure you understand your boundaries."

"Of course I do. I would never overstep them," she said it so quietly that I barely heard.

My fists clenched, feeling annoyed with how sensitive the girl was being. It wasn't like I assumed anything about the ignorant girl. It was just a fair warning that she was taking to heart.

I turned away, with grit teeth, not able to see those beautiful eyes filled with tears anymore. She was making me feel infuriated with her because of the way she was acting.

"Don't cry," I commanded harshly, glaring at the floor.

I could feel her gaze on me and it was one of shock. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her quickly wiping her eyes vigorously. "I'm sorry, Mr. Li. I just hate for people to assume the worse about me."

My head nodded slightly even though I didn't take her words seriously. I didn't mean to offend the girl. She was just being sensitive about the warning. What made her feel the need to cry anyway? She was purposely doing it to make me feel this way.

I turned away from her and stormed out of the living room, heading back to my office to drown myself in more work to shake the feeling off.

* * *

Dinner was oddly silent as we all sat at the table eating. Xing didn't even bother to speak with Kinomoto and it was oddly strange. The boy never remained quiet in her presence, so it made me ponder upon the two.

Ms. Hana had cooked us dinner and left for the evening already, so it was just the three of us. Luckily, everything was settled in for Kinomoto when Kenta arrived earlier with her things.

Asking her to watch my son was something substantial, so I wanted her to be as comfortable as she could be with her stay here.

Maybe she wasn't comfortable now because of what I had said to her earlier. I wasn't demanding the girl to not speak with Xing, so I didn't see why they weren't speaking.

I looked up from my plate at Kinomoto from across the table. She was just twirling the sticks around in her plate of food, looking deep in thought.

I cleared my throat to get her attention. She remained staring down at her plate though. However, Xing looked over to me with his mouth stuffed with broccoli. That was strange too because he despised broccoli with a passion.

I tried clearing my throat again and she both heard and ignored, or she really was deep in thought.

Feeling slightly irritated, I sat my chopsticks down loudly. "Kinomoto," I called sternly.

Immediately, her fingers dropped the chopsticks and her head snapped up. Our eyes automatically locked with each other's. My throat became dry all of a sudden, forgetting what I was going to say. My mind couldn't even form a coherent sentence to say to her.

I glanced down to her plate before returning my gaze to hers again. "You don't like the dish Ms. Hana cooked?"

My eyes automatically dropped to her pink, plump lips when she let out a gasp. "Of course I do. It tastes delicious."

My eyes stayed glued to her lips, sucking in each word her lips articulated. I forced myself to look away before my mind could wander to dark, forbidden thoughts. Thankfully, she had changed out of that inappropriate outfit that she had on earlier. The outfit that she had on now kept her body covered, which was a good thing. Her choice of clothing earlier was just mildly inappropriate. Her shorts were way too short.

For her to have had on such a skimpy outfit around a stranger brought more suspicion on about her. You would think that the girl learned her lesson from the asshole at her apartment, but no, her naive nature was begging for another lesson.

I looked back down at her plate and scoffed. "You haven't even touched anything on your plate."

Crimson hues tinted her cheeks before she picked up her chopsticks and started stuffing the food in her mouth. I almost snorted at how ridiculous she looked, trying to prove a point.

"Is it that you hate broccoli too, Sakura?" Xing asked, excitedly.

I gave him a pointed look and he looked at me and grinned. A small smile tugged at my lips before it fell immediately. My body could feel those innocent orbs on me again.

"Of course I hate them," she stated matter-of-factly to him, but exuberant could be heard in the tone of her voice.

Xing smiled at that, nodding his head excitedly. "See, Daddy? Even grown-ups hate broccoli. Only people who wear the same faces as Daddy love them."

Kinomoto giggled at Xing's outrageous assumption and my eyes averted from him to her immediately when hearing that sound. I closed my eyes tightly, while trying to get my body under control.

"There was a 'but' to what I said, Xing. I eat them so I can be strong...like you and Daddy, remember?" She looked at Xing questioningly, but her eyes kept shifting over to me unconsciously.

There was nothing to sexualize about that...so why the hell did that turn me on? The girl was damn 17 and doing whatever she was doing on purpose with those looks she was giving me.

Wasn't it illegal to look at someone her age in that way? Of course it was, but it was hard for a guy to control his mind when a girl was looking at him like that, so cut me some slack stupid conscious.

It wasn't like she was the most attractive thing around. In fact, she was the complete opposite of what normally attracted me. She was way too skinny for my appetite. She barely had any ass and she was probably just a b-cup sized breast. I ignored the urge to look down to check and see again.

She didn't even reach my shoulders when we stood side by side the other day, so no long, slender legs. There was nothing majorly physically attractive about her—okay, she looked extremely cute, but that was all. There was nothing to sexualize about her, which was why I didn't understand why my body and mind were butting heads with each other.

"You're right. I'm only going to eat them because Sakura does then," Xing said as he used his chopsticks to pick up the broccoli and drop it in his mouth. He made a puking sound and she giggled at that as she ate her own food.

My food was abandoned though because my eyes and mind were too preoccupied with the girl at the end of the table, wondering what could be the cause of my attraction towards her. My eyes took in every movement she made and every skin that was shown.

A blush crept to her cheeks as she continued to eat her food. She could feel my heated gaze, even though she hasn't glanced up at me and that thrilled me. I didn't even give much concern to understanding why it did, but it did.

"Do you not like the dish Ms. Hana cooked?"

My eyes locked with hers again. There was mischief in them as she asked the question. I liked that look. A lot.

"Of course Daddy likes Ms. Hana cooking. That was a silly question to ask, Sakura," Xing answered before I could with a chuckle.

One of my brows arched as I picked my chopsticks back up and ate.

"You're right. It was silly, wasn't it?" She laughed before she resumed her eating.

The remainder of dinner was peaceful, with the exception of Xing and Kinomoto engaging in conversation while I observed them quietly.

* * *

"The end. No more stories, Xing," I said closing the fourth book of the night.

"But Daddy, one more please? I promise after that I'll go to sleep," Xing pleaded, giving me the damn eyes. I had been accustomed to them for too long, so the effects of it were a little dull on me now.

"No, Xing."

He jumped up from his car-shaped bed, turning to me. I was currently sitting in a chair beside his bed. "But Daddy, you didn't read me my favorite book."

My brow arched, wondering what book he was speaking about.

"Which book is that?"

"'Love you forever.'"

I gave him a skeptical look. "That was the first book that I read tonight."

"No you didn't, Daddy. Please read it again. You know that's my favorite one of all times," he pleaded, desperately.

I sighed and gave in to him. It was just going to be for this one time.

"After reading this book, you're going to sleep, okay?"

"Okay!" he said excitedly with a wide grin on his face, lying back down on the bed.

I gave him a pointed look and he sighed. "After you read this book, I'm going to sleep," he said disappointedly.

I nodded and proceeded on to reading him the book.

After finishing the book five minutes later, I leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight, Xing."

I started to stand from the chair beside his car bed.

"Daddy?"

I looked down at him. "Yes?"

"Is Sakura going to be my new mommy now that she's staying here with us?"

My heart dropped and my eyes widened before I sat back down in the chair, turning to him immediately. "Of course not. Why would you even think such a thing?"

He sat up in the bed, turning to me. "I asked her about it...and then I heard you saying something about it to her today—I'm sorry I listened to grown-up conversations, but I couldn't help it this time when I heard you mention it to her!" he said with tears in his eyes, threatening to fall.

He mentioned something about it to her and she didn't even bother to tell me?

My fists clenched, feeling pissed at the girl for not even telling me. Did I have to tell her what to do and what not to do about every single thing in order for her to know what to do?

I tried calming myself down before I said something I would regret to Xing. He didn't do anything besides eavesdrop on our conversation. That was my fault though because it was irrational to talk about such a thing with him in the house.

"Xing, Sakura is just going to stay here for a little while because she doesn't have a place to stay," I explained.

It didn't even feel right to tell him that she would be watching over him now since he was already assuming things.

"Oh...so she will leave?" he asked sadly and the tears started to stream down his rosy cheeks.

 _Damn it!_

I closed my eyes and ran a hand through my hair frustratingly. "Eventually, Xing. You have to be a big boy though."

His eyes started to water more and he started to sob.

I let out a sigh and stood from the chair and sat on the bed, pulling him into my arms.

"But she can't, Daddy. She promised me!"

I would deal with her later about that too. She should have known better than making outrageous promises with my child, without my permission!

"Xing, you do know that you have me, right?" I asked gently.

"Yes..."

He didn't sound convincing enough with that answer, but I would let that topic slide for another time. I knew that I hadn't been with him much lately, but I couldn't do anything about that yet.

"How about this, before the school year starts, we can go on vacation together. Where do you want to go? Name any place in the world and I promise you that I'll take you."

He looked up at me wide-eyed. "R-really? Will it be troubling for you? Won't Daddy have to work?" he asked quietly with tears still in his eyes.

"Of course not. Name any place you want. You have to stop crying first though."

He sniffed and wiped his eyes, getting rid of the tears, thankfully. "I don't want to cause you any trouble..." he said as his mind wandered somewhere else. He had a dazed expression on his face.

"If you insist though...I want to go...to Disney world!" he said excitedly.

"Then it's done. We can take our vacation down in the US. There are a lot of fun things to do there."

He hugged me tightly, burying his face in my chest.

I let out a sigh of relief, happy that he was feeling a little better. I sat him back in the bed and pulled the sheets over him.

"I love you, Daddy."

I smiled at him before ruffling his hair which caused him to pout. "I love you too, squirt."

He chuckled and looked up at me. "Will Sakura come with us?" he asked innocently.

"I'm not sure yet. Don't think too much about that though. We are going to have fun together, no matter what."

He nodded his head and laid his head back on the bed. I pulled the sheets up to his chin.

He yawned and closed his eyes, "Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight, Xing."

I kissed his forehead one last time before getting off the bed and switching the night light off. I walked to the door and left it cracked open a little, just the way he wanted it.

Now I needed to go and deal with that ignorant girl and her careless actions. She should have known better than to keep something like this from me. She really did need to be taught a lesson.

* * *

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favorites, and the alerts!**

 **I am sorry for the delay in this chapter. I've been sick for the past few days, but I was feeling a bit better today. I will go back and correct any grammatical errors later if there are any. I will try to post another chapter this week, but I'm staying with a 4 year old child all week and she's a handful who loves attention...like _a lot_ of attention. I'll try to find the time to write, even if I have to hide from her lol.**

 **In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review to let me know what you guys thought of the chapter! :D**

 **Ja ne!**


	7. Day One

**"Day One"**

* * *

The day had finally ended. I thought that it would never end, especially after that awkward dinner with Xing and Mr. Li. Xing had started to distance himself from me after he had asked me earlier that day if I was going to be his new mother. I wasn't even aware of the fact that he would think such a thing. His voice was laced with so much hurt when he asked me, that it broke my heart. He made me feel guilty, like I was doing something wrong.

He even explained to me that I couldn't be his mother or nanny if I was supposed to be his girlfriend. He didn't like nannies at all for whatever reason, but I had thought better to not ask about it. But why would he ask me something like that?

My body froze, coming to realization about why he could have. Maybe he had overheard what Mr. Li insinuated earlier today. I couldn't believe the nerve of that horrid man to assume something like that anyway!

I was only 17 and he thought that I wanted to be a mother right now. Not that there was anything wrong with Xing, I wasn't ready to take on that kind of role in my life yet. Besides, I saw Xing like the younger me who didn't have a mother around. Feeling lost and confused about where she was at that age.

Where was Mr. Li's wife anyway? She should have been the one here with the little boy, instead of Mr. Li having me around to babysit him because he was too busy with his own stuff going on.

I wanted answers and fast because I didn't think that I could stay here being in the dark about things in Xing's life that were causing him so much pain.

I sighed and shook my head from the thoughts, figuring that he would probably just tell me that it wasn't any of my business if I had asked him. Maybe I was trying to meddle too much.

The mirror showed my reflection as I braided back my wet, auburn hair. I had just finished showering and was getting ready for bed, but my mind kept reverting back to the events that played out earlier.

I felt a painful tug in my chest when Xing had begun distancing himself from me and I didn't even know why. He didn't shed a tear at least, but he was still hurting because of something that he thought I was attempting to do—which wasn't the truth.

I sighed again and moved over to my dresser and pulled out one of Touya's T-shirts. I pulled it over my head after I finished braiding my hair back. The shirt reached the middle of my thighs, so I didn't even bother to put on any shorts. I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed again for the umpteenth time that night.

I had thought about telling Mr. Li about Xing asking me that, but the only results that I could see was a livid Mr. Li yelling at me. He would probably kick me out because of what Xing asked me, even though it wasn't my fault.

A thought crossed my mind and my face turned to one of horror. Maybe I was acting too motherly with Xing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked me if I was going to be his new mother or not. Maybe I did need to dial back my affection with him.

It wasn't something I could help though. The little boy just cried for attention! He was begging me to love him like my own with the puppy, amber eyes.

I took deep breaths and let them out a few times, trying to calm down my racing heart. I would just make sure that he didn't find out that Xing asked me anything. That way, I could stay around Xing and have a place to stay for the meantime until I raised enough money to find my own place.

I started to walk towards my bed, but a sharp, firm knock on my door stopped me. My body froze, automatically knowing who it was. There was only one person that could make me fear my life with just a single knock on a door. I started to slowly walk towards the door, but it opened on its own before I had the chance to reach it.

Mr. Li walked in and slammed the door shut loudly and turned back to me, causing my body to jump from the slam. My heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach when I saw him starting to approach me with a scowl on his face.

Immediately, I moved back before he could get any closer towards me, fear kicking in. Why was he in here and without my permission?!

 _It is his house,_ my annoying conscious reminded me.

"Mr. Li, why—"

"Why the _fuck_ didn't you tell me that Xing asked you if you were going to be his new mother?!"

My eyes widened and my throat constricted, my biggest fears coming to life.

"I...Mr. Li, I can—"

I couldn't form a coherent sentence with him still approaching me like a lion, sneaking up on his prey. The back of my legs hit the bed and I ended up sitting on it, my bottom sinking into the soft mattress.

"Kinomoto, you can't keep shit like this from me! I warned you about this—I told you!" he yelled and I wondered for a split second, if Xing could hear him yelling at me right now.

My eyes started to burn with tears, but I quickly disposed of them. "I'm sorry, Mr. Li. I didn't mean to keep it from—"

"How the hell do you not mean to keep something this important from his father?! You have no rights in this house to keep anything from me. I'm placing a roof over your damn head and giving you more than you've even asked for and you think that you have a right to keep something like this from me!?"

"I'm sorry! I was scared...I was scared that you'd—"

"Kick your ass out of my house? If you pull any shit like this again, then I will! Do you understand me?"

I automatically nodded my head. "Yes, sir."

He sat quiet for a while, trying to get his breathing under control. My heart was racing so fast and I wanted to kick myself out at that moment, afraid of what he would do next.

"Don't make any more useless promises to my son. I can kick your ass out at any second, so don't promise him shit like that," he gritted out.

I already knew what he was talking about. My cheeks grew hot from embarrassment and I nodded my head mutely. I didn't know where my voice scrambled off to, but I couldn't find it. I didn't want to utter another word though, afraid that I would say the wrong thing.

He took a step closer and I automatically flinched back on the bed more.

"I'm serious, Kinomoto. If I hear anymore shit like this again from anyone, you'll have another thing coming," he threatened dangerously with that death glare piercing right through me.

"Y-yes, sir," I finally said, nodding my head. All questions from earlier vanished from my head. I didn't even want to know anything anymore from this man.

"What did he ask you? Tell me everything he said to you," he commanded suddenly.

"I-I...H-he...He just asked me if I would be his new mother—but I immediately told him no. Then he said that I couldn't be his mother or nanny...that was all,," I explained, purposely leaving out certain things that he said to me.

He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his unruly hair and pulled on it tightly. He looked so in distressed because of me that automatically, I felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I understand if you want to kick me out and not have me around your son. I promise there was no intended harm in my actions though..." I said quietly, keeping my eyes glued to my hands in my lap.

"Stop it, damn it," he said frustratingly.

I looked up at him questioningly, wondering what wrong I had done this time. "I..."

He stepped closer towards me and I automatically scrambled back on the bed more. "Please, don't..." I whispered, holding onto the bottom of the T-shirt tightly.

I made sure that he couldn't see under my shirt, even though half of my thighs and legs were already on full display for his wandering eyes. His amber eyes drifted down and the shade of them changed.

My heart was racing and my body began to heat up, feeling his heated gaze on me. My bare skin could feel his gaze on it and broke out in goosebumps, on cue. My breathing started to pick up on its own and it was getting harder to control myself.

"P-please leave, Mr. Li," I blurted, feeling scared of the way he was making my body feel.

His eyes snapped back up to mine and he glared at me one last time before storming out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

I let out a shaky breath and rested a hand over my racing heart, trying to calm it down. What the hell was his problem?

I crossed the line, but for him to just barge in my room like that?! I could have been naked!

I laid back on the bed, letting out another shaky breath.

Living in this house was going to be harder than I thought it would be with him around.

* * *

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, Sakura! You have to wake up!" I heard a little voice yelling, while feeling the bed bouncing up and down.

I moaned and turned over on the bed, trying to get away from the noise and movement.

"Wake up before Daddy does!" I felt my body being vigorously shaken.

"Alright, alright I'm up." I groaned as I sat up on the bed, frustratingly. I opened my eyes to find the source that was ruining my sleep.

It was Xing...

He jumped on top of me and hugged me tightly. "Yay! You're up!"

I felt extremely annoyed with how loud he was being so early in the morning. The sun had not even risen yet and he was acting like it was five in the evening. This kid was something else.

"Why are we awake so early?" I looked over to the clock by the night stand feeling grouchy.

 _5:34am_.

"Well...I'm hungry now and I always wake up this early. Ms. Hana won't be here until 7:30, but I want food now. Can you give me a snack or something now, please?"

"Xing, honey you can't have a snack this early in the morning. Is your Daddy still sleeping?" I asked sitting him on the bed beside me.

"Yes...but he will wake up soon and leave for work. That's why I'm asking you for the food. Please?"

Oh no! He was giving me the eyes. The ones I didn't know how to say no to.

"Can't we wait for Ms. Hana? She will be here very soon."

"But I'm hungry now, Sakura. Please, please, please?" He jumped on me, holding on to me tightly.

I didn't want to do anything else that would make Mr. Li angry again, so what would be the best thing to do?

"How about we watch TV for a bit in the living room and then you can get something to eat?" I looked at him, pleadingly.

"Hmm..." He appeared to be in deep thought before a wide grin spread across his face.

"Okay! But can we watch TV in here? I want to be comfy. Everyone I lay down under the covers, it makes me feel comfy."

I looked up at the TV and thought about it for a while. Would Mr. Li be okay with this?

Probably not.

"It would be better to watch it in the living room," I suggested, hoping that he'd give in fast.

Instead, he pouted, "Please?"

I looked away from him, closing my eyes. "I think that Daddy would want to see you right when he wakes up, so we should go to the living room."

"Okay..." He sighed and slid off the bed.

I let out a sigh in relief, taking mental notes about what caused him to give in easily.

"Go ahead. I'll be out in a minute." I patted him on the bottom lightly, out of the room.

After he left, I walked over to the dresser and grabbed out a random pair of shorts. I slid them up my legs before walking out of my room. I closed the door behind me and turned away but immediately stopped in my tracks.

There Mr. Li stood, looking at me in a light, blue button-down shirt with a dark blue tie and dark slacks.

Almost on cue, my cheeks began to warm at his intense gaze on me.

The atmosphere was so tense and awkward between us that I wanted to be engulfed in a black hole, thinking back on last night's encounter.

I didn't have the slightest clue on what to say as he just stood there staring, so I did the logical thing. I started to walk down the hall towards the living room slowly.

"G-good morning, Mr. Li," I stuttered, facing him.

He didn't utter a single sound, so I moved to the side of him and started to walk towards the living, wanting to get out of the awkward situation.

"Good morning," I heard him quietly say before walking down the opposite direction of the hall to his office.

I let out the breath that I did not even know that I was holding. The man was just too intense for me.

"Come on, Sakura. You've been taking forever to come to me."

I looked down to see Xing looking up at me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the living room with him.

"I'm sorry. I ended up running into your Dad." I explained after sitting down on the couch beside him.

"Here. I don't know how to turn the TV on."

He handed me the remote. I took it from him and pressed the power button.

"Daddy is already awake? I want to watch...Pocoyo!"

I smiled and started to flip through the channels, looking for Pocoyo.

"It's the blue boy. It always comes on in the morning time. And there's an elephant too and a duck!"

"Alright, here it is," I said after finally finding the channel.

"This is one of my favorite shows of all time!" he announced loudly and I nodded my head, feeling slightly annoyed with how loud he was still being in the morning.

Could he not see that I was still sleepy?

I balled up in the corner with Xing cuddled next to my side. I smiled at the affection that he was giving me. It had been a while since I received so much affection from a person.

I watched Pocoyo for five minutes before dozing off to sleep, leaning against the arm rest.

"Sakura, you can't go to sleep! Can you watch it with me?"

I opened my eyes when I felt Xing pulling on my arm. I sighed and nodded my head and attempted to watch it with him, but could feel myself dozing back off to sleep. I really wasn't a morning person.

"Daddy, you're awake!"

I felt the pressure being lifted off my body probably thirty minutes later.

"Will you be home for dinner?" I heard Xing ask from across the room.

"I'll try to be. Be good today and don't cause any problems with anyone, okay?"

My eyes opened at that voice, instantly. I looked over to see Xing in Mr. Li's arms. Xing had his arms wrapped around his neck.

"Yes, sir. Is Sakura going to be with me all day?" Xing asked.

"Yes, so that includes being on your best behavior for her too, okay?"

"Yes sir." He kissed Mr. Li's cheek.

Mr. Li ruffled his hair before sitting him back down on his feet. He turned in my direction and my body instantly froze. He nodded his head slightly towards me before walking out. Xing walked back over to me and sat down beside me.

"You were sleeping," Xing pouted and grabbed onto my arms, laying his head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm not a morning person," I said, patting his head gently.

He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers with mine. "Fine...but I always wake up early, so can you wake up early with me from now on?" He turned to me innocently and gave me the eyes.

I closed mine and sighed with a small smile on my face. "I can try. I'm not making any promises so you can't hold it against me if I fall asleep in the morning."

He hummed and put his hand under his chin as if he were thinking about it. "Deal!" He held out his pinky for me and my grin widened as I linked my pinky with his.

"Now let's watch something else." He pointed to the TV.

"What do you want to watch?" I asked, pressing the guide button to look for something.

"Umm..."

I went to the channel that Sesame Street was on. I turned to him to receive his approval.

"Yes! I love this one!" he said excitedly and smiled before turning to the TV, becoming engulfed by the show.

We watched a few episodes until I heard someone knocking on the door. I stood from the couch and Xing stayed glued to my arm as we both walked to the entrance of the door.

"Good morning, Ms. Kinomoto, Xing," Ms. Hana greeted me and Xing after I opened the door for her.

I smiled at her and bowed my head slightly. "Good morning, Ms. Hana. I'm glad to see you here. We're both starving." I ruffled Xing's hair and he pouted before swiping my hand away routinely.

Ms. Hana giggled and stepped in the house, slipping her shoes off. "I'm sure you all are. Why don't we hop off into the kitchen and batch us all up something to eat?" she suggested with a warm smile on her face.

Ms. Hana was such a sweetheart. She was a middle-aged woman who was a little chunky, but was very beautiful and kind. Even though I had just met her yesterday, I could sense that we would get along great with my stay here. How was she possibly associated with Mr. Li?

"Yes, ma'am," I said, smiling.

"Oh honey, you can drop the formalities. Just call me Hana because we are going to be seeing a lot of each other around here," she said as we all walked to the kitchen together.

"Yes ma'am."

She gave me a pointed look with a playful smile on her face and it took me a while to realize why she did.

My cheeks warmed a bit out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I meant to say Hana," I said shyly, looking down at the table.

I heard her chuckle before she rested a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I understand why Master Li has you here," she said comfortingly before she headed over to the refrigerator and started taking out the necessities for the meal she would prepare for us.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked with a frown on my face as I sat down in the chair after pulling it back from the table. Xing hopped in my lap while I wrapped my arms around his waist loosely.

"Nothing dear. Where did you guys meet by chance?" she asked as she cracked some eggs into a bowl.

"Well, it was me who met Sakura first," Xing chimed in excitedly.

I smiled and poked his stomach lightly and he ended up jumping in my lap, giggling. "That's right. I met Xing outside of Mr. Li's corporation building. I ended up coming inside and—"

"We played _all_ day until Daddy finished with all the important people," Xing said before I had the opportunity to.

"That's right. I stayed with Xing until Mr. Li's meetings were over. For his gratitude, he treated me to dinner and offered me a ride back to my home." More like forced me.

"Yes and then Sakura had the chance to ride in the awesome car!" Xing said grinning.

Hana turned her eyes over to me and smiled. "How did you end up here, sweetie?" she asked.

"Well...I-I don't really know what Mr. Li was thinking when he asked me to come here—"

"Daddy said that there was a mean man that tried to hurt Sakura and take her home away. So he rescued her and brought her here." Xing nodded his head as if he were positive about his declaration.

I smiled at him and nodded my head towards Hana. "Yes, that's what occurred and how I ended up here."

She gave me a knowing look before she nodded her head. "That's very like Master Li to do such a thing for a beautiful, young lady like you."

My cheeks burned again and I waved my hand nonchalantly at her compliment. "You don't have to flatter me, Hana. It was just a coincidence that he came at the time," I tried explaining but she just laughed.

"If you believe anything I say, believe that there are never coincidences when it comes to Master Li. He is always ten steps ahead and in control of everything around him," she explained as she stirred the mix after adding all the seasoning ingredients.

I shook my head at her. "No. This truly was a coincidence."

She smiled and nodded her head, letting it go. "So how old are you dear? You don't look too old."

"I'm 17."

"I see." She looked at me and I shyly looked down to the table.

I heard her chuckle before hearing the sizzling stove. "I hope that omelets are fine with you dear," she said to me.

"Of course it is. If there is anything that I can do to help, please let me know," I offered.

She shook her head. "That's not why I'm hired, honey. You just sit back and relax."

"Well, I want to help you. We want to help, right Xing? Ms. Hana works hard every day to prepare meals for you." I asked while nudging Xing lightly.

"Right! Sakura is right Ms. Hana. You do way too much. We want to help," Xing said with as he smiled widely.

She chuckled and nodded her head. "Alright, only if you all promise not to tell Master Li," she said mischievously.

"Of course not!" we chorused.

"Alright. You two can prepare the table then," she instructed and we both obliged to her wishes.

Aside from being waken up so early, today was starting out great.

* * *

Just as Mr. Li had said, Mr. Chenchi, Xing's martial arts trainer arrived at 8:55am knocking on the door. I was very impressed with the skills that Xing had already accomplished at such a young age. I did wonder if this was something that he was forced to do or if he was actually doing it because he wanted to.

We were now heading inside to get him all cleaned for the day.

"Are you going to bathe with me?" Xing asked as I stripped him from his clothes after I finished filling the tub with water.

I chuckled and shook my head. "I've already had my bath when you were training."

"Aww...I'm going to go and get some toys to play with in the tub. Daddy normally lets me play for a little while in the bath." He took off running bare naked to his room.

I giggled and shook my head, then sat on the small stool by the tub waiting for him.

Everything was going perfect. I had already checked off the things that were supposed to be done this morning. There was no way that I could mess the first day up. Mr. Li would have my head if I did one more wrong move, so I needed to tread lightly with everything I did in the house now.

Water splashed on me along with some bubbles and I automatically jumped back from the tub. Xing had jumped in the water with his toys.

"I really like to stay in the tub for a very long time. Whenever I stay in for a very long time, my skin gets all wrinkly." He giggled and I joined along with him.

"You get all pruned?"

He looked at me as if he were in deep thought. "I think that's what Daddy calls it!"

He drove the truck on top of the water, making little vroom sounds. I smiled and started to rub water on the areas on his body that weren't wet yet.

"How about I get the icky dirt off first, then we can play?" I asked and he immediately nodded.

I managed to get him all clean in 30 minutes and he even played in the water until the water started to get cold. I wrapped the towel around him and we made it to his room. I was impressed with how creative the room looked.

"Oh! You see my car?" He pointed to the car that was in the corner of the room.

I smiled and headed over to his dresser. I pulled out some underwear for him along with khaki shorts and a random T-shirt for him to wear.

"Yes, I do. I love it!" I said after taking another glance at it

He giggled. "It looks like you won't be able to fit in it after all."

I walked over to him smiling. "Nope. Now let's get you dressed, you little prune."

He started laughing and ran to the opposite side of the room from me. "I don't want to get dressed yet."

We ran around in his room for a while playing until he finally let me dress him.

"So what do you want to do for the remainder of the time until your tutor gets here?" I asked when we sat in the living room.

"Hmm…can we play hide and seek?" he asked excitedly.

I smiled, "Of course we can. Do you want to hide while I count?" I closed my eyes, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. No peeking!"

I heard his little footsteps taking off. I started counting loudly so he'd hear me.

"50! Ready or not here I come!" I yelled before I started my search for him.

Hide and seek probably wasn't the best thing to agree on because I didn't know the house that well yet.

He wasn't in his room, my room, the living room, or the kitchen. I checked the backyard and found no sign of him. The kid was good even though he had an advantage over me since it was his house. I checked the rooms that were unlocked upstairs and found nothing.

I came back down the stairs and went to the opposite side of the hall to look in those rooms. One of the doors was locked and it made me wonder why Mr. Li locked so many doors in the house. What was he trying to hide that was so important anyway?

I opened a door to one of the rooms and stopped in my tracks when having a glimpse of how beautiful the room looked.

It was huge and very spacious even though there was a king-sized bed and large dresser with a mirror. The spreads were dark green and very silky looking, with matching pillows. The large dresser was a dark brown and the carpet was a light tan color. The walls were a light brown color, but it somehow complimented everything in the room. There were beautiful lamps in certain areas in the room. There was a small table located in one area of the room and a smaller matching brown dresser located by the bed.

I walked fully in the room, looking around at everything. I didn't remember Mr. Li showing me this room. The bed looked so comfortable that I was tempted to go and lay on it, but thought better of it.

I took a look at the walls again and noticed portraits this time. There was a portrait of four beautiful women in one of them. They looked like they could be his siblings, but I couldn't be too sure about that. There was another photo of another beautiful woman, but she was up in age. She was aging quite well though. She looked even younger than what she probably was though. There was another photo of a little boy who looked similar to Xing with another man who looked like an older version of Mr. Li.

I looked away from the photos and looked around the room again. This had to be Mr. Li's room. I needed to get out of there before I got caught...but my curiosity had somehow become stronger than my fear.

The atmosphere in the room felt just like it did whenever I was around him. There was a mysterious feel to the room as I walked further in the room and started to memorize everything I could.

I stood in front of the mirror and wondered if he often became scared in the morning when waking up because of the reflection of the bed. I shook my head vigorously and started to leave his room immediately.

This was the kind of things that planted me into trouble with the man. Why had I not learned my lesson yet?

I quietly closed the door to his room.

"What were you doing in Daddy's room?" I jumped at the voice and turned around to see Xing staring up at me confused.

"U-uh...I was looking for you, of course!" I explained immediately.

He gave me a suspicious look before a wide grin spread across his face. "Well, you weren't even close, so I win the game. Now it's your turn to hide and my turn to count."

"Alright, to the living room you go and count. Make sure you cover your eyes!" I yelled after him.

I rested a hand over my chest and rubbed it gently, trying to calm my racing heart. I really needed to get myself together.

* * *

Xing was all dressed and ready for bed. Everything went as Mr. Li proclaimed they would. I didn't make any more mistakes and Xing was happy and content with me all day.

Thankfully, Mr. Li hadn't been home the entire day, so I didn't have to worry about my every single move. The only downside would be that Xing missed him all day. He constantly asked what time he would be home to see him. Quite frankly, I didn't have a clue.

Mr. Li hadn't given me his number or schedule to know anything to inform Xing about anything. Thankfully, it was easy to distract the boy with anything though.

It was now 9:30, past Xing's bedtime but he insisted on staying up until his Dad arrived home. I didn't think it'd be a great idea to have him staying awake too late, so 9:30 was his limit.

"Can you read me two books?" he asked me when we settled our bottoms on his bed.

"Does your Daddy normally read two?" I asked giving him a pointed look.

"Well..." He looked down at his hands in his lap. "Not normally, but he did read me more than two last night."

I smiled at him and nodded my head. "Alright. Pick the two books that you want me to read." I pointed to the book shelf.

He ran over to the book shelf and pulled out two books. "This one here is my favorite book of all times," he said as he walked back over to me and handed me one of the books.

 **'Love You Forever'**

I gently took the book from him and smiled. "I remember this book. I used to also love it when I was little."

He climbed on the bed and crawled over to me and sat in between my legs that were crisscrossed.

" _Really_?" he exclaimed excitedly as he turned his head towards mine.

"Yes. My dad used to read it to me all the time."

He smiled. "I see. In my other house a long time ago, mommy used to read it to me all the time too."

"It's a great book. Here," I turned him around so we both could look at the book.

I began to read the book to him and he talked throughout the entire time of my reading, mentioning which were his favorite parts.

We were so similar in so many ways that it was almost creepy. I'd never even met the boy before I landed myself in this house.

It had to have been fate that we met because we were similar in so many ways. It was like he was meant to make me see life in a brighter aspect and I was meant to meet his needs when they needed tending to.

I kissed his forehead after reading the second book to him. "Goodnight, honey," I whispered against his forehead.

He kissed my cheek, with a smacking sound which made me giggle. "Goodnight, Sakura. I'll see you in the morning?" he asked looking at me hopeful.

I smiled at him. "Of course you will."

It wasn't a promise, but I truly meant it. I wasn't going to do anything to get removed from this little boy's life. Even if I did, I would beg and do anything I could to stay.

"Tell Daddy that I love him, okay? Goodnight," he sighed contentedly and closed his eyes with a smile on his lips.

I smiled and turned on the night light before walking out of the room, being sure to leave the door cracked open. I let out a sigh and headed to the living room. I wasn't sleepy yet, so some entertainment from the TV wouldn't do any harm for the meantime.

I sat on the couch and picked up the remote from the table and turned it on. I scrolled through the channels, looking for anything to watch as long as it wasn't cartoons. My head had been filled with them all day and it was all I could think about. I was even singing the songs from the shows.

I heard keys being rattled, before a door opening. I sat up from my slouching position on the couch immediately and looked in the direction.

Mr. Li walked in with his tie loosened and a few of the top buttons were undone and his shirt was untucked. He looked like the complete opposite of what he was this morning when he left.

My eyes moved back up to his face and my cheeks started to burn when I felt his gaze on me.

He looked so exhausted and tired that I felt a little sorry for him. He nodded his head slightly towards me before walking to the kitchen.

For some reason, I felt obligated to ask him about his day, but thought better of it so I laid my back against the couch again. He would probably just become annoyed with me and tell me that it was none of my business anyway.

Even though I was aware of the outcome of it, I was already up on my feet heading to the kitchen after him though.

I stood at the door and saw that Mr. Li had already warmed his food and was in the refrigerator taking out a beer. He turned around and stopped all movement when he saw me at the kitchen entrance.

"U-um, how was your day?" I asked dumbly, looking down at my feet.

He didn't say anything, so I looked up to see him staring at me with a raised brow.

"Good. How was Xing?" he asked as he walked back to the table with two beers in his hand.

He sat down and picked his chopsticks up before looking up at me questioningly.

"Oh, he was great actually. Five minutes before you arrived, I'd just put him to bed. He was very insistent on staying up to see you. We waited for a little while, but I told him that he needed to go to bed. I-I hope that it was okay to wait for you—for him to wait for you, I mean." I looked at him biting my bottom lip nervously. I couldn't afford to get into any more trouble.

He opened his beer and drunk a large portion of it in one chug. "Don't let it become a habit. He may start to use that as an excuse to stay up," he said after he finished gulping it down.

I nodded my head immediately. "Yes sir."

"What time did Ms. Hana leave?" he asked as he started to eat.

"A little after seven."

He nodded his head once and swallowed his food. "Mr. Chenchi and Mrs. Ling came?"

For some reason, his questions made me feel like he already knew the answer to them. It seemed like he was just asking to see what I would say, which was weird.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, I nodded my head. "Yes, sir. Xing did great during his practice with Mr. Chenchi and he behaved well with his tutoring session." I smiled thinking about him.

"You didn't let him watch TV all day with his free time, right? He isn't allowed to have too much TV time," he said looking at me serious all of a sudden.

My cheeks warmed as I shook my head. "No sir. We did other things around the house."

Silence followed after that and the awkward, tension was in the room again. I didn't know why it was always like this between us. It was quite disturbing, so I decided to end it.

I cleared my throat and he looked up from his food at me and my cheeks grew hotter. "I-I guess I'm going to head to bed."

"Sit," he commanded, motioning to the chair across the table from his.

My mouth opened, ready to respond but nothing came out. I did the logical thing and walked to the chair and sat down.

He opened the other beer and took a large chug from it before sitting it back down on the table quietly. "You have questions," he stated, whether than asking.

My head titled a little, confused by the statement. I did, but I was most definitely not going to ask them to him.

"This will probably be your only opportunity, so ask whatever you like."

I looked around the room to see if he was really talking to me and not some unknown person in the room. Was he really telling me to ask him anything that did not regard our arrangement?

"I...—"

"You are staying in my house when you know very little about me and my son. I believe you have the right to know a little about us. Nothing that will cross the line though," he explained before taking a bite out of his food.

I didn't have the slightest clue what to ask, so I just let out a slight hum in deep thought.

"How long will you allow me to stay here?" I asked after a while.

He looked up at me and swallowed his food before speaking. "However long you will like. You said you're a senior in high school, right?"

I nodded my head, slowly. He gave me a pointed look that I knew all too well. "Yes sir," I said immediately.

"What do you plan to do after that?"

"Well, I hope to save up enough money and go to college," I said thoughtfully.

He stood from the table and walked over to the refrigerator to grab another beer. He opened it and gulped down a large amount of it.

It was almost unbelievable how the man could drink so much.

After he finished swallowing, he turned to me. "About that, I have come up with a reasonable pay for you. How does one million yen a day sound for you? I can up the pay if you would like."

I gasped. One million yen per day?! That was way too much. I could leave and find my own house with that kind of money.

"Oh Mr. Li, that won't be necessary. That is way too much and I wouldn't feel right taking that much money from someone. That's insane!"

He sat back down in the chair in front of me. He raised a brow and shook his head, "I actually think that's too little, so how about ten million yen?"

"Mr. Li!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me and I bit my lip lightly, feeling a little guilty for raising my voice at him.

"It's my money spend. I think that you deserve a nice amount for watching my son and staying in a stranger's home."

"Th-that's way too much to offer someone."

He glared at me softly and I automatically closed my mouth. "I'm not really giving you more than one option. If you would like more, then you choose to take the offer I made or up the pay."

I bit my lower lip lightly again and looked down at the table, not knowing what to say to the offer. The man was always offering unbelievable things to me. Couldn't he take a break from making me feel so...

So what?

"Kinomoto," he said sternly.

I looked up at him immediately and nodded my head. "Alright Mr. Li. We can keep the pay at your offer."

He kept his eyes on my face, not saying a word. My cheeks started to warm at the way he was looking at me.

My fingers grabbed the bottom of my large T-shirt tightly, nerves jumping suddenly.

"Li."

I looked into his eyes questioningly.

"Call me Li, instead of Mr. Li. Xing will catch onto how formal or business-like you sound addressing me. You speak to me as though I'm your boss."

"You kind of are..." I trailed off before looking down at the table. "I understand. I wasn't sure how you wanted me to address you," I continued after a while. I looked up again and discovered that he still had his eyes on me.

"Is there anything else that you want to know?" he asked after taking another sip of his beer, keeping his eyes on me.

I swallowed nervously before asking the next question. What was okay and appropriate? He didn't even give me specifics.

"Why did you choose me? I'm just a high school student with less experience with kids than an adult would be. You're allowing me to stay in your house when you barely know me. Is there a reason why you've chosen me?" I asked hesitantly.

He sat the beer down and his lids lowered a little when his eyes landed on me again.

I could feel the hairs on my body stand on end, cheeks still hot.

"I have nothing to worry about with you," he said after finally breaking the awkward silence between us.

I closed my eyes, thinking if I should ask the next question or not. It didn't seem appropriate, but I had a right to know, didn't I?

I was the one who'd be watching Xing most of the time now, so I should be the one to know this, especially.

With that thought in mind, I held my head up high, looking in those intense eyes determinedly. "Where is Xing's mother?"

His body automatically froze and his eyes turned from the fiery, intense stare to a cold and hard one.

That look alone made me regret asking the question.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Ah! I'm sorry for ending it there, but I am so tired. I promise I won't make you all wait long for another chapter to come out again. Thank you guys so much for the support though! It's really what pushes me to keep writing. :)**

 **Please leave a review!**

 **Ja ne! :)**


	8. Blossoming Attraction

**"Blossoming Attraction"**

* * *

Mr. Li just glared at me from across the table. I wanted to be swallowed into another black hole again because I had offended him. It wasn't on purpose, but I had a right to know. It wasn't fair for me to ask Xing the question, so his father was the only solution that I had come up with.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem so forward with you, but Xing talks about her all the time and I just...I didn't want to ask him the question because—"

He held his hand up. "Stop talking," he interrupted rudely.

My mouth automatically closed and my eyes shifted down to the table, feeling ashamed of my rambling. I tended to do that a lot whenever I was nervous.

We sat in silence at the table, not looking at each other—well, me trying not to look in his direction. I could feel his eyes burning holes in my entire existence though. Why did I always find myself saying the wrong things to him?

"She's not any of our concerns anymore, so don't worry about it. That's all you need to know," he said after the long, awkward silence between us that almost killed me.

That didn't answer my question at all though. If anything, it made me have more questions! Should I press on and ask more questions?

No, he'd just get mad and kick me out if I did that.

I looked up at him and saw him chugging down the rest of his beer. He stood up from the chair and walked to the refrigerator to grab out three more beers. Was he purposely trying to get drunk?

"I'm sorry if I offended you with my question, Mr. Li."

"Li."

"Oh, right. Li-san..."

"Xing..."

I looked up at him and my heart nearly broke at the sight before me. The once intimidating man looked so vulnerable with that pained expression on his face. I had the urge to move across the table and hug him, but knew better.

"He doesn't fully understand anything yet and he's so innocent...for something so cruel to happen to someone so..."

His fist clenched around the beer bottle so tight that his knuckles started turning white, as he stared at it blankly. He wasn't even paying any attention to me so he was talking more to himself than me.

"This topic shouldn't be brought up anymore to anyone, is that understood?" His gaze directed itself back to my eyes, glaring at me.

The vulnerable man that sat in front of me a few seconds ago was gone. He was back to the intimidating man, which caused me to sink back in my chair with the way he was glaring at me.

"Yes, sir."

He chugged down the rest of the beer before pushing his chair back from the table. He stood up from the chair and grabbed the two beers that were on the table.

"Goodnight, Kinomoto." And just like that, he left me alone in the kitchen.

I sunk into the chair, not believing what just happened. Did I really just get a glimpse of the soft side to the man? He didn't even look capable of having such a side.

A small smile crept to my lips before I stood from the table and walked to the opposite side of the table to pick up his plate and brought it to the sink, rinsing it off. I placed it in the dishwasher then dried my hands off.

Maybe he wasn't as bad after all. He did give me a place to stay and he was the one allowing me to be around Xing when I didn't even deserve that much.

Maybe if I could look past that cold facade he always puts up around everyone, I could like him as a person.

With that thought in mind, I had a goodnight's rest.

* * *

I heard my door being opened slowly the next morning. It didn't take a genius to know who it was though. I just didn't want to get up because I wasn't ready to yet.

It was probably only 5:30 in the morning that I was being forced to get up again. This was probably going to be the only downfall of staying in the house.

I sat up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Looking at the alarm clock standing on the dresser caused me to groan when I saw the time.

It was only 5:15am...

I had 15 more minutes to sleep and the little boy was taking that away from me. Couldn't he sympathize for me a little bit?

"Sakura…"

I looked at him peeping behind the door at me. He looked so adorable that my own tiredness was forgotten.

"Come here, baby."

He opened the door all the way and walked inside. He climbed on my bed and crawled into my stretched arms.

I wrapped my arms around him loosely as he rested between my legs. "What's wrong?"

He turned and looked up at me. "I had a scary dream so I..." He blushed, looking down at his lap.

"You what, honey?"

"I peed the bed…I'm sorry! I swear I didn't do it on purpose. The dream was just so scary and I don't know how it happened, it just happened and—"

I giggled and looked down at his clothes, noticing they were different from the ones I had put on him last night.

"You changed your own clothes?"

"Yes…I didn't want anyone to go through the trouble to clean me up," he said, sheepishly.

"Xing, you don't have to feel bad about something like this. Besides, it wasn't your fault, you had a nightmare. How about we go and get you cleaned up? Then we can go and watch some pocoyo, was it?" I said, patting his head lightly.

He smiled at me and nodded. "Yes! Daddy is awake, so maybe he can watch it with us."

My body froze at the mention of the man. Why couldn't I get a break from him?

"Alright, come on now." I lifted him off me so we could both climb off the bed together.

We walked out of my room and down the hallway to the bathroom, with Xing holding on to my arm. I pushed the already cracked door opened.

"Daddy!"

I looked up and almost gasped at the sight before me. My cheeks burned as I tried to keep my eyes focused on his face, instead of his bare, muscled torso.

Xing loosened his grip on my hand and ran over to his dad, hugging his leg tightly. He was soon hauled off the floor, into the man's arms.

"What are you doing up this early?" Li asked, looking his son in the eyes.

Xing had blocked the view from my wandering eyes, thankfully.

"Well...Sakura was going to take me a bath. I made an accident in the bed."

Li's attention directed at me and my cheeks burned from the intensity of his gaze. Did I do something wrong again?

"How did that happen? I thought I told you to go to the potty when you have to use it." He said softly.

"I don't know how it happened—I had a bad dream and it scared me. I'm sorry, Daddy…"

Li ruffled his hair and sat him back down on his feet. "How about I get you all cleaned up and she gets your bedcoverings washed?"

"Hai! Can you watch pocoyo with us this morning after I get all cleaned?" Xing looked at him, pleadingly.

I closed my eyes, silently praying that he'd say no. What luck had been on my side lately though?

"I can for a little while, but I have to get to the office early this morning."

"Aww, you work so much, Daddy."

Li reached down and turned the knob in the tub. "I know, but I said I'd make it up to you, remember?"

"Yes, I can't wait either!" Xing said, excitedly.

Whatever was said after that was missed because my eyes and mind were too occupied with the way his biceps flexed while reaching down.

He stood up straight and my eyes looked down to the well-defined abs on his stomach.

Something kept telling me to look away before my eyes traveled lower to the 'v' that met his pants, but I couldn't.

I heard someone clear their throat and looked in the direction of it to see that Li had turned to me, giving me a questioningly look.

My cheeks burned even more, noticing that he caught me staring.

"I-I'm going to go and—the bed-coverings! Yes, those need to be cleaned. I'm going to…yeah."

I rushed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I leaned against the wall for support, trying to calm down my heart that was racing uncomfortably fast. I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to get my breathing under control. What was wrong with me?

I'd seen plenty of males without a shirt! I lived with two men who kept up with themselves, for Christ sake, so why was I acting like a girl who'd never seen a shirtless guy before?

I lifted myself from the door and started walking down the hall to Xing's room. I pulled the sheets off the bed and went to the laundry room to wash the covers.

My heart was still racing after seeing Li's naked torso. I had already known that he was handsome under the suit, but to see the real thing was completely different. Why did he act like it was normal to walk around without a shirt on anyway?

 _It **is** his house_ , my annoying conscious reminded me.

I took one last deep breath and let it out before walking out of the laundry room to the living room, hoping that they weren't there yet. I wasn't the luckiest girl on this earth, so guess what I saw?

Xing and the man I was just thinking about, sitting on the couch watching the TV.

Xing turned around and smiled widely. "Come on, Sakura! We just turned it on. Sit by Daddy and me!" he said excitedly.

I walked over to the couch, slowly.

He attempted to pull Li over to give me room. "You sit by Daddy."

I sat down beside him, being sure to keep space between us. Thank goodness the man had put a shirt on while I was gone.

"Did you tell her yet, Daddy?" I heard Xing whisper.

Li looked at him curiously. "Tell her what?"

Xing leaned up and whispered something in his ear that I couldn't catch.

"Kinomoto," he said after a moment of silence in the room, with the exception of the TV.

I didn't utter a word, afraid of saying the wrong thing so instead; I turned to him, looking at him questioningly.

He turned to me with that piercing stare and my cheeks warmed a little. Why couldn't I ever get my emotions under control around the man? The way he looked at me always made me feel nervous and weird.

"You don't have to do this with us—"

"But I would be _really_ happy if you did, Sakura," Xing interrupted.

"Xing," Li said sternly.

Xing sighed. "Sorry, Daddy..."

"Before school starts, I'm going to take Xing to Disney World. It's optional for you to go, but I still wanted to extend the offer to you."

I stared at the man incredulously, not believing what I'd just heard. Was he really inviting me to go on their family vacation?

I looked over to see Xing staring at me pleadingly. I smiled and looked back to Li. "How could I reject such an offer? Of course I would love to."

"Alright, next week it is then. I will have everything arranged, so don't bother stressing over anything."

He stood from the couch after ruffling Xing's hair. "I'll be home for dinner. Be on your best behavior today."

Xing grinned at him and nodded his head. "Yes sir!"

He nodded at me before walking out of the living room.

Xing scooted over to me and laid his head on my shoulder. "I'm so happy that you said yes. It took a very long time to get Daddy to say yes," Xing said in my shoulder.

I smiled and ruffled his hair, which caused him to pout as usual. "You don't want to spend any time alone with your dad?"

"No...It's always so depressing when we do."

I smiled at the use of word he managed to think of. How old was this kid again?

"Why do you say that?"

His eyes began to glisten with tears. "Because I don't think Daddy loves me anymore."

My heart nearly broke into a million shards of glass at that statement.

"Xing, you know better than me that your dad loves you. Come here," I pulled him in my lap, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

"I know...it's just, ever since Mommy has been gone, it doesn't seem like Daddy wants to be around me anymore."

I had the strong urge to ask where she was, but thought better of it. Besides, it wasn't the right time and Li had just told me not to mention anything about the woman to anyone else.

I kissed his head gently. "Daddy loves you. I can assure you of that. Don't ever think something like that again."

He pulled back from me and frowned. "Okay and I'm sorry. I promised that I wouldn't cry anymore. Are you mad at me?"

"Of course I'm not mad at you. I just want you to be happy."

"Okay..." he said quietly.

I poked his side, making him flinch back with a giggle.

"We're missing the show," I said softly.

He gasped and turned around in my lap to face the TV. "You're right! We almost missed the whole show."

I smiled and shook my head. "We can watch another episode."

He never responded because he was already engrossed in the show.

I sighed and looked at the boy, wondering what went through that head of his. He was only four and going through so many different emotions at once. One minute he was happy, then the next he was sad, while the next he was mad. What was I going to do with the little kid?

We watched the show in silence together, with my mind being occupied with how I could make Xing happy. I was soon engulfed by the show, never coming up with a conclusion to his happiness.

"Would you like to go down to the park today?" I asked after a few episodes of the show.

He turned to me wide-eyed. "Really? We could do that?" he asked hopefully.

I smiled, nodding my head. "Of course we can. There's one down the street from here. I'll just have to ask Daddy if it's okay."

His smile dropped. "Aww. He might say no if you ask him…" he looked down at his hands.

The vulnerable man from last night flashed through my mind before I lifted Xing's face up by his chin, "Trust me, he won't." I smiled at him, reassuringly.

"Really?"

"Definitely. Just sit here while I go and ask him if it would be okay."

He nodded his head and smiled at me. I sat him on the couch before standing. Giving him a thumb up, I slipped out of the living room, heading down the hall to Li's office. I knocked on the office door three times, when facing the door.

An answer never came, so I knocked again.

Nothing came.

I grabbed the handle, turning it before I pushed it open slowly. I peeked inside and saw Li's back facing the door.

I frowned, wondering why he ignored the knocking. After walking inside, I closed the door behind me, leaving it a little opened in case he didn't welcome me.

He turned around in the chair, looking up at me questioningly.

"I didn't know if you heard me knocking or not," I said quietly.

"I did," he said simply.

I pursed my lips, feeling slightly annoyed with him. Had he ignored me on purpose?

"What is it that you want?"

I looked at him and took a deep breath before speaking. "Uh…" an image of his naked torso flashed through my head, causing my face to heat up.

He raised a brow at me and leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Speak up, Kinomoto."

My eyes traveled back to his lips for a split second before they averted back to his eyes. "Would it be okay to take Xing to the park today?" I finally asked.

He made a humming sound, looking deep in thought.

He was going to say no. His eyes said it all for me to know that he had already had an answer to the question. He didn't trust me with Xing even though he had offered me a job to watch him.

"As long as I accompany the two of you, then yes."

My eyes widened, not believing what my ears were hearing. "Excuse me?"

He raised a brow at me. "Is that a problem?"

I shook my head vigorously. "Of course not! I would be more than happy if you did."

"It's settled then. I'll be home before dinner."

He turned around in the chair and continued to his work, rudely dismissing me.

I didn't care that he rudely dismissed me though. He had said yes to us going to the park. Better yet, he said he would accompany us. That was better than I'd originally planned things to go because this was how Xing would be happy. I was stupid to not think of it before. His dad was the answer the whole time.

He needed his dad and the attention to make him happy.

 _"…it doesn't seem like Daddy wants to be around me anymore."_

No child should ever feel like their dad didn't want to be around them, nor should a dad make a child feel that way.

My fists clenched, looking at Li's back facing me. There was no way that he knew Xing felt that way about him or otherwise, he'd be doing better.

I left the office, closing the door behind me before I did something I'd regret to the man.

I didn't know much about him, but he wasn't necessarily playing the role of a good father. I was not going to be quick to judge him though because there was always a reason behind people's actions. The only way to understand him was to get to know him and I was willing to try.

"We are going to the park," I said after sitting down beside Xing on the couch.

He turned to me with excitement in his eyes. "Really?"

"Really, and guess what?"

He looked at me curiously. "What?"

"Daddy is going to tag along!"

He gasped, "He is?!" he shrieked.

I smiled. "Yes he is, honey. He suggested tagging along himself too."

Xing jumped on top of me, hugging me tightly. "I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun to have Sakura _and_ Daddy to play with me."

I ruffled his hair, but he didn't even seem to care as he kept rambling on about what we'd do at the park together.

A smile stayed plastered on my face, knowing that this was probably going to be the best idea I'd ever have.

By the time next week came, Xing wouldn't even want me to tag along on their vacation time so he could feel comfortable around his own dad.

* * *

I walked around the house, trying to figure out something to do. Xing had been sleep for 15 minutes already after Mr. Bao, his tutor, had left.

Li didn't tell me a specific time that he'd be back. He'd only said before dinner, which was at six.

Ms. Hana wouldn't be here for another hour, so I was left alone in the house by myself until Li arrived.

It was a little nerve-wrecking to know that we all would be going out today. It wasn't for me though. It was all for Xing because he deserved to be happy.

I sighed, lying on the couch while turning the TV on after picking up the remote. I started flipping through the channels, looking for anything to watch. After seeing nothing appealing to watch, I left it on the kid's program.

It wasn't like I would watch it anyway because I had never been a big fan of TV. Besides, I needed to get myself mentally prepared to be around Li again. I wondered what possessed him to come along with us. It was a little weird because he didn't seem like the type to take his kid to the park. He was always so serious and formal—aside from him being shirtless this morning. I hadn't seen him in anything but formal wear so that made me wonder if he'd wear something formal to the park today.

Shaking my head from the ridiculous thoughts, I sat up from the couch. This wasn't about me or Li because it was all about Xing. He was the reason we'd be going out together anyway. They needed to spend more time together and I was just going to be there to make Xing feel comfortable.

I did hope that I could get to know Li a little more though. There was no explanation for it, besides the fact that I wanted to know him more.

After last night, it made me realize that he wasn't as bad as he appeared to be. He was just being a protective father of his child. I wasn't necessarily the safest person, but I would never let Xing get hurt because of something I did—or anyone.

I turned back over to the TV and started to watch the program, not feeling the least bit interested in it. My eyes started to drift shut before I could even comprehend what the show was even about.

I didn't know how long my eyes stayed shut because the next thing I heard was familiar keys being rattled with and a door opening before closing.

Sitting up from the couch, I looked in the direction of the noise, waiting for the person I'd been waiting for to show. It didn't take long for him to and I almost smiled, seeing the man stand there.

I sat up from the couch and stood, facing him. "Welcome back, Li-san."

He stared at me for a moment before giving me a nod and walking down the hall to his study.

I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was 4:03pm. Had my eyes really been closed for that long?

It was time for Xing to wake up now—three minutes ago, actually. Good thing Li had come home to wake me because otherwise, I wouldn't have even known.

I walked down the hall to Xing's room and saw that he was already awake, playing with the cars on the floor.

He turned in my direction and smiled. " _Finally._ I thought you'd never wake up."

"How long have you been awake?" I asked curiously, walking in the room all the way before sitting on the floor beside him.

"Um," he held up 10 fingers, "This long, I think."

I smiled, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, honey. I was tired, I guess. Promise I'll make it up to you though."

"Deal." He started driving his truck around on the floor before turning back to me. "Is it time for the park?"

"We have to wait for Daddy, remember?"

"Is he already here?"

"Yes, but he has to change first."

"Daddy is here?!" he exclaimed, standing from the floor.

I giggled, nodding my head.

He pulled on my arm. "Come on, then!"

I stood from the floor, smiling at his enthusiasm about seeing his dad.

We started walking to the door, but it opened before we even had the chance to do it.

I looked up to see Li with that blank expression on his face, as always. He actually had on _casual_ clothes, which was something new. Jeans and a T-shirt that fitted nicely against his body was definitely a good look on him.

I didn't let my eyes linger on his body long this time, so he wouldn't catch me again. It was probably the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen to a person.

"Daddy!" Xing ran over to him and wrapped his arms around his leg.

Li picked him up with ease and kissed his forehead lightly. "Hey buddy."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lip, but it immediately disappeared on cue, as if he sensed me staring at him.

I looked away, not wanting to make him feel like I was invading his privacy.

"Is it time for the park now?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes it is. And how would you feel if I told you that we'd also get ice cream later on too?"

I heard Xing gasp. " _Really?_ "

"Really, but we have to have dinner first."

"Do I have to eat more yucky green foods?"

"Have I ever told you no to that question before?"

Xing sighed. "No…" he said sadly.

I smiled and looked back up at the two. I had the urge to tell the two that they should go without me, but Xing's teary-eyed face came to mind. He had said that it was always depressing when it was just the two of them.

Li poked Xing in the side, causing him to squirm and giggle in his dad's arm. "You're eating your vegetables if you think that look will make me change my mind."

"Aww, fine. If I eat all of my vegetables, can I get double the ice cream then?"

"So you can be up all night? I don't think so buddy."

Xing pouted, "Sakura, tell Daddy that I should get double the ice cream. I've been very good today, right?"

I giggled and turned to Li, shrugging my shoulders. "He _has_ been good today."

He raised a brow. "You're not getting double the ice cream," he said simply.

Xing groaned. "Yes, sir."

He sat Xing down. "We should get going."

"You're right."

We walked out of Xing's room and the house, listening to Xing telling us what we'd do at the park.

Li opened the car door for me after he buckled Xing in, in the back.

I slid inside the car, in the front seat this time though. I needed to get used to Li's presence if I was going to try and get to know him a little more.

It didn't take long to arrive at the park that was down the street from the house. It wasn't as awkward in the car with Xing there with us, so that made me feel relieved. Li didn't utter a word to me the entire ride though. I never expected him to though, so it didn't bother me.

I opened the car door after unbuckling my seat-belt and stepped out the car the moment we arrived.

Li did the same and got Xing out of the car as well. Xing took off running to the swings the moment his feet touched the ground, just as I expected him to.

I walked over to the swings with him and heard Li following closely behind me. I sat on the other swing by his, grabbing the chains that held the seat up. I already knew what Xing would say next because he had already told me plenty of times today what he wanted to do when we first arrived.

"So Daddy pushes me first and we see who can go the highest," Xing said suddenly.

I giggled, looking at him. "Isn't that an unfair game? You have someone pushing you, while I have to work my own way up."

He frowned. "My feet can't even reach the ground though…" he said sadly.

"I'm kidding, squirt."

My feet gave the first push against the ground before I started to push back and forward with my arms and legs.

"Hey, that's cheating! Come on, Daddy." Xing tried jumping up on the swing.

Li picked him up and sat him on the swing. "Hold on to the chains tightly."

Xing did as he was told. "Hurry, Daddy!"

Li started to push him, allowing him to go higher than me instantly.

"I'm winning, Sakura!" Xing exclaimed, looking over at me laughing. The kid was full of energy even though he'd just woken up from a nap less than 30 minutes ago.

After we swung, we played on the monkey bars for a while then played on the slides. We had already played two rounds of hide-and-seek as well. Li had even played with us, which was a surprise to me.

I didn't even think that the man had a single bone in him to play anything. He was always serious—very professional around me. He was finally loosening up around me and it was refreshing to see. I felt more comfortable around him, seeing that he had a less-intimidating side to him.

"Now you guys have to hide together, while I count," Xing said after the second round ended.

He closed his eyes and began to count. We started to go and find a hiding place in the opposite direction from each other.

"No, no, _no._ You guys have to hide together or it wouldn't be fair to me." He stopped us from further separating from each other.

"You weren't supposed to be looking anyway, cheater," Li said, matter-of-factly.

I giggled and nodded my head. "That's right; you aren't supposed to be looking."

He giggled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "You guys still have to hide together since Daddy and I hid together and Sakura and I hid together. It's only fair, right? Daddy always says that I should be fair, so that means you too." He pointed at us both.

I looked at Li and he shrugged his shoulders, not even glancing at me.

"Alright, go ahead and turn around, mister. And keep those eyes closed!"

Xing turned around after I said that and continued to count.

Without thinking, I grabbed Li's arm and pulled him with me to the slides. I got on my knees and crawled in the tunnel, distinctively hearing Xing's counting.

Li stooped down and looked at me skeptically. "You don't expect me to get in there with you, do you?"

"Of course, it's a great hiding place," I whispered, scooting over for him to have room.

"I'm not getting in there."

He started to stand and on instinct, I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the tunnel with me.

"Damn it, Kinomoto. This isn't necessary."

He pulled his arm back from me glaring, but I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it. He started to make a move to leave the tunnel again, but I grabbed the closest arm, pulling him back inside with me.

When I let his arm go, he ended up losing balance and my head hit the ground hard. "Itai," my hand moved to the back of my head.

I made a move to get up, but felt something heavy on top of me that prevented me from doing so. I opened my eyes to be locked with burning, amber ones.

My body froze under him when I noticed his hands on either side of my head while he looked down at me. My face started to heat up when his eyes darkened.

The atmosphere had changed between us as Li straddled my body, not even caring to move.

I didn't even hear Xing's counting anymore, which meant that he was coming to look for us now. I needed to push him out of the way before Xing found us, but my body wouldn't letting me.

All of my senses were on overdrive because of the man. The only thing I could smell, feel, and hear was him. It was almost scary, but not as scary as the way my body felt because of him.

His eyes traveled down to something else on my face and a blush crept to my cheeks, having the slightest clue where they were.

My fists clenched at my side before I started to get up, but my thigh brushed against something hard. _Very_ hard.

I looked down between us and my cheeks burned even more, seeing what that hard something was.

My thigh moved from his crotch and a sharp inhale of breath left his mouth, causing all movement to stop. My eyes traveled back up to his, noticing that the shade had changed again.

"Daddy! Sakura!"

Hearing that voice caused Li to break contact with my body immediately.

I sat up from the ground, resisting the urge to look in his direction.

"I found you guys! I found you! You guys lose!"

I looked up to see Xing at the entrance of the tunnel, smiling. I smiled and started to crawl out of the tunnel, ignoring the burning ache between my legs. I didn't even want to acknowledge it, frightened that it was what everyone had talked about at school. I had never felt it before, but I wasn't a blind fool to my own body needs.

"Looks like you win then, huh?" I said, after standing from the tunnel.

"Yes I did—Daddy?" Xing looked in the tunnel at Li, who was staring at the ground blankly.

His head snapped in the direction when he heard the word 'daddy' though. He crawled out of the tunnel, gently pushing Xing to the side before he stood.

"You ready to get something to eat?" he asked, staring down at Xing.

Before Xing could respond, he grabbed his hand and started walking back to the car.

I stared after them, still not believing what happened between us. He had really been…

My cheeks started to burn and I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts.

I had to be going insane.

* * *

"This ice cream is so delicious!" Xing said, licking the chocolate-flavored ice cream on the cone.

I smiled, licking my own strawberry ice cream cone. "It is delicious, huh?"

"Yes. Daddy's favorite ice cream is also chocolate like me. Did you know that?"

I looked in the direction of the man on the phone, and shook my head. "Nope, but you are his son, so it isn't much of a coincidence."

"What does coincidence mean?"

My gaze moved back to the little boy sitting in front of me at the table outside. I mentally slapped myself for forgetting who I was talking to.

"It's just when two things happen at the same time or to the same people in a way that doesn't seem normal," I explained.

He licked his ice cream, looking deep in thought. "Coincidence…"

I nodded and licked my ice cream too. I hummed, deciding to change the subject. "Are you ready for school? I heard it's going to be your first year."

"Yes, I'm so happy that I can finally go," he said grinning.

I giggled, looking at the chocolate in between his teeth. "I bet you are. You're going to be a big boy, aren't you?"

"Yes, almost like Daddy," he exaggerated.

I laughed at that and shook my head. "You will be eventually, but not yet."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I will be soon, so it's the same thing."

Smiling, I shook my head, not believing the little boy.

We ate the rest of our ice cream in a comfortable silence. Even after we finished, Li was still on the phone.

I frowned, feeling a bit frustrated about that. He was supposed to be spending time with Xing, instead of being on the phone. He wasn't at work right now for that specific reason. Did he not know how to get away from work for a few hours to spend time with his son?

He hadn't spoken another word to me after our encounter at the park, and quite frankly, I was glad about that. There was nothing that needed to be said between us anymore.

He looked in my direction, glaring. I looked away quickly, feeling embarrassed that I had been caught staring at him again.

"I had so much fun today, Sakura. I'm glad that Daddy was able to come along with us," Xing said after he ate the last bite of his cone.

I smiled. "I'm glad that you had fun then."

He yawned and laid his head on the table.

"Looks like you're getting tired."

He lifted his head from the table shaking his head vigorously. "No I'm not. I'm just bored—Daddy says that people yawn when they get bored sometimes."

I giggled. "Well, I think you're yawning because you're tired."

"Only a little bit…" he trailed off, yawning again.

"Well, when you get home, you'll have to take a bath first, then to bed—"

"No story time?"

"Of course after story time."

He laid his head back down on the table and I looked in Li's direction again. He was sticking his phone back in his pocket, making his way over to us.

"You tired, buddy?" he asked, when reaching us.

"Only a little bit," he repeated.

Li picked him up from the chair and Xing laid his head on Li's shoulder. Li stared at me for a while before he started walking to the car.

I followed suit behind him and slipped inside the car, buckling up. It would be an awkward ride back to their house.

Sure enough, it was the most tense-filled ride I'd ever had with anyone because Xing had fell straight to sleep when he had been buckled in his seat.

We were now walking in the house, with Xing in Li's arm, sleeping.

Li unlocked the door and pushed it opened. He allowed me to walk in first before he came in behind me and closed the door behind him. He walked down the hall with Xing and opened the door to Xing's room.

They disappeared from my sight when he walked inside the room.

I let out the shaky breath that I didn't even know that I was holding around him. We were back to square one because of that stupid encounter. He was glaring at me again and ignoring my existence like I had done something to make his body react that way.

It was stupid of me to pull on him like that, but I hadn't purposely did it. I didn't even know what came over me to become so boldly comfortable around him. It just happened and it felt right to act like myself again. I had been out of it since I moved here with them.

I sighed and started walking down the hall to my room to get ready for bed. It wasn't even 9 o'clock yet, but I needed to get some form of isolation from the man—more like everything around me. That wasn't even possible though, considering the fact that I stayed in his house now. Everything reminded me of him because everything in the house was his.

I opened the door to my room and slid inside, closing the door behind me. Immediately, I started stripping down from my clothes so I could take a shower. I wanted to wash the indecent feelings off my body from the man. It probably wouldn't work, but I could try.

I turned the shower on and stepped inside of it. The moment the hot water slapped against my skin, all of my muscles began to relax. My eyes closed, enjoying the pressure that slapped against my skin. This shower would probably be able to compare to the shower at the hotel Li had allowed me to stay in a couple of days ago.

My cheeks began to warm at the thought of the man again. A mental image of his naked body in the shower flashed across my mind. Why wasn't it hard to picture his naked body wet, with his hair matted to his forehead? It wasn't like I'd seen him fully naked before—or wet.

 _'You **did** feel how big he was at the park,'_ my inner voice reminded me.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the dirty images. I cleaned myself quickly before I stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around myself, I walked out of the bathroom that was connected to my room.

Quickly, I dried off and slipped on a tank-top and pajama bottoms before tying as much of my damp hair in a high bun. I lied on the bed afterwards, closing my eyes.

I needed to get my head screwed on right. The man was...a man. It was that simple, so why was I getting all worked up over him? I'd only seen three different sides of him and my head wanted to get involved with him all of a sudden. He was too old for me and he'd never even think to look my way.

I took a deep breath and before I could let it go, a knock came to my door. I didn't let that deep breath go, knowing exactly who it was. I remained still, not making any sound. Maybe he'd go away if I didn't respond.

Another knock came to the door and that deep breath I was holding, was soon let go as I stood from the bed and walked to the door. I opened it and there he stood, looking handsome as ever.

"Li-san," I said, quietly.

He just stared at my face blankly, not uttering a word or sound to me.

My fingers gripped the knob tightly, feeling anxious.

"Earlier…"

I stopped breathing as my fingers tightened around the knob. Why was he bringing it up?

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, pulling on it gently. That seemed to be a habit of his. "That was a mistake. I—I didn't mean for that to happen, I mean."

I bit my lip nervously, looking down at the floor. What was I supposed to say to that? He wasn't necessarily apologizing, but explaining himself.

"Kinomoto," he said sternly.

I looked up on cue, realizing that I'd ignored him. He didn't like my lack of responses, but I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to say the wrong thing to piss him off, so what was the right thing to say?

"Okay."

He looked at me skeptically. "Okay?"

"Yes, it wasn't supposed to happen. Things happen between two people and certain situations occur. If you say it wasn't supposed to happen, then it wasn't supposed to happen. And I'm really sorry…" I trailed off after my rambling stopped.

"What?"

"It was my fault, anyway. I shouldn't have pulled on you like that—it was inappropriate and…" I stopped talking when I sensed him move closer.

"I thought I told you to stop apologizing so much," he said quietly.

I blushed, looking away from him. "You're right. I'm sorry, it's a habit and—"

"Kinomoto."

"I-I'm going to go to bed now. I had a great time today, so thank you for allowing me to spend time with you guys."

I closed the door in his face before he could respond.

After locking the door, I collapsed on the bed, feeling exhausted from the day's events.

The man sure knew how to make a person emotionally exhausted from his presence. My heart was still racing, even when I tried taking deep breaths to calm myself down.

How was I going to make Xing happy if I didn't know how to get my emotions under control around the one person he needed most?

I groaned in the pillow, not wanting to find the answer to that question yet.

* * *

 **A/N: This update would have been uploaded sooner, but I went back and read through the previous chapters and cringed. I had to fix a lot of grammatical errors and some of the scenes seemed a bit rushed and a little forced, so I had to rearrange them. I'm sorry in advance if there's any error's in this chapter because it's like 7am and I haven't been asleep yet. I'll go back and correct any later, once I wake up.**

 **Moreover, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with this chapter too much! Please please please review :)**

 **Ja ne!**


	9. Just a Puppet on a String

**"Just a Puppet On a String"**

* * *

Fuck.

 _Fuck._

I had royally fucked up for the first time in my life.

None of the events from yesterday were supposed to occur. That...Kinomoto had managed to cause me to royally fuck up.

She was probably at home sitting down thinking about me being some kind of creep, lusting after her right now.

I fucked up. Badly. And I didn't have the slightest clue what to do about it. I could only imagine what was going on through that thick head of hers right now with Xing at home with her.

It wasn't my fault that my body was on edge yesterday when that foolish girl pulled me down on top of her. What the hell was she even thinking? Maybe she wasn't thinking at all. She didn't have any kind of right to lay a single one of her scrawny, little fingers on me without my permission, yet she did.

My body though. My fucking body just had to ruin everything. I didn't even know that I was aroused until her...

Until she brushed against me with her thigh. It felt so—

My secretary, Hualing had nudged me under the desk and I glanced up, wondering what she had wanted. I felt slightly annoyed with the woman for interrupting my thoughts. She motioned down to the notes she had been taking during the meeting, so my eyes shifted down to them.

After reading over what she had written, my gaze averted back to the wrinkly-skinned man in front of me.

"Why do you suggest such a thing?" I asked, wondering where that idea had even formed in his head.

"Well, I think that it would be great for both of our names. It would be great publicity, I mean. We would be the first to step up to the plate and give it a try here in Japan," Mr. Hiroshi explained.

I mentally groaned, not wanting to succumb to this idea. His company wasn't even close to being important to me, yet mother insisted on merging the companies together because he was a dear friend of the family. She always had her way whenever she desired something. It was almost annoying.

"So you are saying that you want me to teach a college leveled business course at a high school?"

"Yes, I think that it would be great for all of us, even the students as well. They'll get experience with college work and it will help them decide whether or not they would like to go into business themselves. They need to be experienced with the basics of business work anyway because they may be faced with it either route they may take in life. I already know a few schools that are interested in the idea. It will only be an experiment, to see how it goes. One year is all it takes and if you agree to it, I will immediately sign all rights over to you."

I leaned my elbows on the table, wondering if this would be worth it. The man wanted me to teach a business course at the college level to high school students. I didn't attend school to be a teacher, yet the man was suggesting me to become one for a year.

"It really would benefit everyone in this, Mr. Li. You should put some thought into this," Mr. Sato, the vice President of Hiroshi Corporation, chimed in.

My eyes scanned the entire room, looking at all the businessmen and women in the office. They all maintained faces of agreement. They really wanted me to do this. Inwardly, I groaned, not wanting to put in the work for this, but I had already known my answer from the very start of this meeting today. I had always known what the answer to everything was before the questions even arose.

"Alright," I said simply with a nod of the head.

A wide grin spread across the man's face, creating more wrinkles. "I knew you would do the job. Yelan-san was right; you are one that people can always count on." He slid a stack of papers in front of me. "Everything has already been signed. I just need you..." he slid more papers to me, "to sign these papers here, agreeing that you will go through with this experiment."

My eyes shifted down to the papers, skimming through. The first stack of papers was his, agreeing that all rights would belong to me, while the other was what I needed to sign.

A pin was placed by the table in front of me and I picked it up, signing through them without any hesitations. Mother was going to get what she desired, so everything would be alright.

The rest of the meeting flew by in a haze with my mind being too occupied with other thoughts about a certain emerald-eyed girl.

I was currently sitting in my office now, not being able to focus on anything because of that damn girl again. My mind kept replaying yesterday's events no matter what I did. I couldn't come up with an excuse about my reaction to her and it was beginning to frustrate the hell out of me.

I had barely got any sleep last night because of the girl sleeping down the hall from me, so I was beyond tired. I had did something even more stupid after the incident happened. What was I attempting to do going to her room like that anyway? What the hell was my problem? Why had I not been thinking? And why was I still thinking about her?

She was 17. That alone should have stopped me from thinking about her, so why was I still thinking about her? And the way those innocent, emerald eyes gazed at me...

I could feel my cheeks beginning to warm up before I shook my head, silently praying to erase the image of her eyes out of my head. My prayers had never been answered before, so it was no surprise that she remained engraved in my head, until a knock came to my office door.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal my annoying secretary again. Was I going to have to fire her ass in order for her to stop interrupting my thoughts?

She walked up to my desk and set a stack of papers on my desk. "Mr. Li, here are more documents regarding the Hiroshi Corporation's contract."

I grabbed the stack of papers, not glancing up at her. "Alright," I dismissed her.

After hearing the door click shut, I released a sigh before skimming through more of the papers. This contract sure was coming with a lot more than I would have expected it to.

I couldn't believe that I was certainly going to fall through with this. I had never even had dreams to be a teacher, yet here I was, being forced to do it.

 _'Mother would be so proud'_ my inner voice said sarcastically.

My fist clenched before I picked up my phone that was lying on the desk. I punched in a few numbers and rested the phone against my ear. The phone rang four times before the other person on the line picked up.

 _"Wei,"_ her smooth, strong voice answered on the line.

My body stiffened at the sternness in her tone. "Mother," I said stiffly.

This woman was the most intimidating person I had ever known in my entire life.

"Mr. Hiroshi has offered a deal, so my stay here will be longer than expected," I decided to cut straight to the point.

 _"He has agreed to merge the corporations?"_ she said with no trace of emotion in her voice.

"Yes, but on one condition that I have already agreed to do."

 _"What is that, Xiao Lang?"_

"He wants me to teach a college leveled business course at a high school for a year, as an experiment."

She didn't respond for a good 30 seconds and I had begun to think that I had said the wrong thing.

 _"I see. It's a marvelous idea. I see what he is trying to accomplish."_ There was no mirth or praise in her tone, even though she was praising the man.

 _"You agreed to this, correct?"_ It was more of a statement, rather than a question.

"Yes, mother."

 _"It will be great for the company, Xiao Lang,"_ she assured me.

"Yes, I'm very well aware of that mother," I said respectfully.

 _"I know. I expect nothing but greatness in you, son."_

Even though her tone didn't sound like a proud mother, I knew that she was a proud one. She had put so much work into the person I was today, so it was only likely for her to be.

"I have to get back to work, mother. I will keep you informed about any changes."

She bid her farewells and the call ended. Talking to her had only caused another weight on my chest.

Deciding to block everything else out, I buried myself in the workload that I had to finish before the week was out.

* * *

I unlocked the door to my home and pushed it opened quietly. It was after 11, so they both were probably already fast asleep. I closed the door behind me before slipping my shoes off and placing them in the closet before walking towards the kitchen. I heard movement in the living room and stopped in my tracks, turning to the direction of the noise.

There Kinomoto stood, looking at me wide-eyed. Had she expected me not to come to my own home?

She bit the inside of her cheek and shifted to one leg, looking nervous. "Li-san."

I hadn't seen her since last night when she closed the door on my face after I attempted to apologize for my behavior. I had woken up earlier, due to the fact of having to prepare for that meeting. She probably didn't want to see me either. She had been invading my thoughts all day and she probably hadn't even had one about me. She wasn't to blame though. I fucked up—not her. She had to have been thinking the worse of me now. She probably thought that I—

"Welcome back." She bowed her head.

I tilted my head to the side and nodded, a little surprised. "I'm going to go to the kitchen and get something to eat, would you like to join me?" I asked.

I was going to make this right—my reputation. I couldn't have her thinking I was some pervert lusting after her. It was a wonder why she was still even here after that.

 _Xing._

Of course, stupid conscious.

"S-sure," she squeaked out.

I arched a brow and continued back to the kitchen, hearing her small footsteps behind me. I took out the food that Ms. Hana had cooked for dinner and placed it in the microwave. I set it on a few minutes before turning around to see her sitting at the kitchen table.

"How was Xing?" I asked, while leaning my hip against the counter, staring at every inch of her that I could.

Her face brightened up at the mention of that name. "He was great. I think yesterday really cheered him up." My body froze at the mention of yesterday; "He's had a sugar rush all day," she said between giggles.

I raised a brow, while staring at her. She was acting as if nothing had ever happened yesterday. Quite frankly, I was okay with that. I still needed to clear my name, so she didn't think I was some creep, so she could act how she desired to.

"Why do you say that?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. It was ridiculous to ask, but I was trying to make conversation—keep the incident from yesterday away from the tables.

"Well, he was able to spend time with his dad, obviously. You should try to do that more often."

There was no malice in her choice of words because of how sweet she sounded, but that triggered something in me. Who the hell did she think she was to tell me what I should and shouldn't do with my own son?

Before I could respond to that, the microwave interrupted with its' beeping, signifying that my food was ready. I turned back to the microwave and grabbed the plate out before I went to sit across the table from her. It was probably best I did not respond to that anyway.

"How was work—I mean, did you have a good day?"

I took the first bite out of my food and it felt like Deja vu. Had we not just have this conversation a few nights ago?

"Good," I said simply, avoiding glancing up at those innocent eyes.

"That's good..." she trailed off under her breath.

When deciding to give her my attention, she was looking down at the table appearing deep in thought. What was going on in that head of hers?

I cleared my throat and she looked up at me. "Have you been out of the country before?" I asked instead.

"No, I've never had the opportunity to," she said quietly.

I didn't respond to that, not knowing what the hell to say that. I was never good at making conversation, so, instead of speaking anything else to her, I ate the rest of my food in silence and only listened to her talk about her and Xing's day. Well, partially listening while watching her. It was hard not to watch the girl, she was fascinating.

I finished eating and placed my plate in the dishwasher this time. When I turned around, I halted in my steps seeing her stand from the table, displaying her slim legs to me—not that I was looking.

"Would it be possible for you to spend another day with us again? Seeing Xing so happy today was..." She stopped and looked down at her bare feet shyly before she glanced back up at me with a blush on her cheeks.

Damn it, it was that look again. The one that always made me—

"I'm not saying that it has to be tomorrow or anything. If you find the time, it would be great if you could. Xing enjoyed you and..." she swallowed nervously as her cheeks turned a brighter red. "So did I." She smiled at me coyly, looking up at me through her long, thick lashes.

My fists clenched when I felt myself hardening in my pants. I closed my eyes, needing to **not** see that innocent look that was causing my body to do very _very_ sinful, illegal things that it had no business doing.

"I—" I cleared my throat, trying my best to hide my arousal state. "I refrain from making promises. But I can try."

Why the hell was I sitting here agreeing to go out with her, along with Xing? Xing, yes, but her? Hell no.

"Actually, my schedule's tight," I said, reasoning with myself that I didn't have to do that.

"Oh..." she said disappointed.

I almost felt guilty, but remembered that she was nothing but the live in nanny for my son.

"I'm going to head to bed."

I started for the door, but felt something grab on to my shirt, halting me in my tracks.

"Li-san, I don't think that I've ever had the chance to thank you properly. I will forever be in debt to you and your kind invitation into your home," she said quietly.

"It's Xing you should thank," I said stiffly, not moving an inch, due to her tight grip on my shirt.

"I know, but you trusted me enough to come in _your_ home, around _your_ kid...I don't know how I could ever repay you, how I would—" she choked out a sob and my eyes closed, already knowing that the sensitive girl was crying.

I turned around hesitantly and almost regretted it, seeing the glossy look in her emerald eyes. She was going to cry. Just fucking great.

"Kinomoto, you're doing enough by watching my kid. That's all you need to do," I said gently, not knowing how to calm down the teenaged hormonal girl. Did I experience this many emotions at once at that age?

"Really? Are you sure? I can cook, clean, and watch Xing at the same time, if you want. I still feel like I'm not doing enough. Are you sure?"

I almost chuckled at the desperation her voice held, but thought better of it. I wasn't that much of an asshole.

Without thinking, my hand moved up to caress her cheek with certainty, using my thumb to swipe away the stray tear that had rolled its way down her hot, rosy cheeks. "I'm more than positive. Watching Xing is more than enough to repay me."

She smiled at me sweetly with tears brimming in her eyes before moving her hands up to mine, cupping it between hers.

My entire body had a surge of different emotions, feeling her soft hands around mine. My first instincts were to push her away, but I couldn't do it. My body—not me, but my body loved the small physical act. It was the same reason why I couldn't get off the damn girl yesterday, despite having that stupid boner. What the hell was I doing?

I snatched my hand back from her hand as if I was burned, glaring at her. Why the hell did she feel comfortable doing shit like this now anyway? She needed to be put in her place again.

"Kinomoto," I called sternly, causing her entire body to freeze.

I felt a sense of pride seep in, seeing that I still had that effect on her. I couldn't allow that to change. If I keep letting my guard down, the foolish girl would take advantage of me.

She didn't even bother to look up at me, which almost made me infuriated. Before I could snap, I remembered that I was trying to change her mind about me. I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Look at me," I commanded as softly as my voice would allow me.

Hesitantly, she glanced up at me and I regretted telling her to do so instantly. Her sparkling, emerald eyes stared up at me curiously. I didn't know what it was about her eyes, but they were so...

What were they?

My eyes drifted down to her slightly parted lips and I had the sudden urge to kiss her. What the hell was wrong with me?

As if noticing what I was staring at, she bit her bottom lip lightly and I felt myself subconsciously leaning in to her. My heart was drumming against my chest loudly, making me wonder if she could hear it. Why the hell was she not pulling away?

I paused, taking one last glance at her inviting lips before closing my eyes tightly. This was _so_ wrong.

I opened my eyes and they shifted back up to meet her eyes. "Tomorrow," I paused, wondering if I should speak what I was thinking. I owed this girl nothing, yet I felt obligated to succumb to her request. Something like this had never occurred—not even with Meixia. "I will be here for dinner."

Her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face, "Really?" She looked at me hopefully.

Knowing that I was the cause of that reaction filled me with an emotion I had never felt before.

I nodded, not trusting my voice at the moment. I was always certain of myself, but with this girl, I was beginning to doubt myself for the first time in my life.

"Thank you so much, Li-san." She bowed to me.

"Goodnight, Kinomoto," I said before I did something _very_ wrong and walked out of the kitchen.

My fist clenched, walking back to my room. What the hell was wrong with me? The girl was an incompetent, sensitive nuisance. A thorn to my side, even. She was doing it on purpose. She was making use of those clear, salty droplets to her advantage.

She had to be aware of my heart feeling like it would rip out of my chest at the sight of those tears, in _her_ eyes, so why was I allowing her to take advantage of me? She was being manipulative like all the other women who tried to meddle their way into my life, forcing me to see them as someone important.

My insides quivered, thinking about those pure, emerald orbs committing such a malicious act. She didn't even appear as the type to do anything evil. Suppose that made the saying true then, 'It's always the innocent ones.'

I pushed my door opened and walked inside and closed it behind me. I stifled a groan, feeling the fabric of my clothing brush against my crouch after sitting on the bed. I ran a frustrated hand down my face, annoyed with my body.

When had I even become hard? I was so damn horny these days that it was almost getting annoying. I had already humiliated myself yesterday in front of the foolish girl. Did I not experience enough torture yesterday?

I closed my eyes and fell back on the bed, covering my eyes with my arm from the light that just seemed too bright right now. I was exhausted from the days' work. My mind hadn't been keeping up with my body lately. I was never this tired after a long day at work. I could always come home and even get more work done, but now, it was different.

Since that girl arrived, I had been extremely exhausted, more than usual. The blame could only be put on her. She and her alluring eyes had been haunting me. All I could think about was those importune orbs and the damn eyes were slowly killing me softly. Why could she not stay out of my head and do her own thing?

I sat up from the bed, shaking my head from the ridiculous thoughts. She couldn't possibly be aware of what she was doing to me. Maybe I was the one being ridiculous.

I stood from the bed and headed to the bathroom connected to my room after stripping from my clothes. I took a cold shower, hoping that the raging boner would go away on its own.

I refused to do it again. It had already happened once, but I wasn't going to allow myself to revert back to those dark, forbidden thoughts. They should have never been there to begin with. Her face should have never been there. Those nude pink, succulent lips of hers should have never been there. It shouldn't have been easy to picture her naked body under mine with her lickable legs wrapped around my waist...

 _Shit._

I was doing it again. I needed to stop before I succumbed to my body like I had last night. With that thought heavy in mind, I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist and continued on with my nightly ritual.

On finishing, I grabbed my laptop out of the bag on the chair by the bed and sat on the edge of the bed and turned it on. I glanced at the clock on the wall to see that it was past midnight. I could get more cleared off my work schedule, so I responded to a few of the emails that I hadn't got around to earlier.

Mr. Hiroshi had sent me several documents, regarding the deal we had made today. The documents were just topics that would have to be covered in the course for the school year. It was all the basics of business, such as, marketing, business management, human resource management, etc. I had never taught a class before though, so that was what made it hard.

I looked through the rest of the documents before closing the laptop, calling it a night. I placed it back in the bag on the chair.

Pulling the spreads back, I slid under, resting my slightly damp head against the soft pillows. I should have worked a little longer, that way, my hair would have been fully dry. Now I had to deal with the annoyance of a slightly damp pillow for the night.

I shifted under the covers and groaned again, extremely annoyed with the fabric of my clothing brushing against my excruciatingly painful hard-on again for the umpteenth time tonight. I couldn't recall the last time I had been this hard—aside from yesterday.

Deciding that I had enough, my hand slid under the covers to grip myself firmly and began stroking slowly. "Fuck," I groaned under my breath while stroking myself.

I had not a single clue what caused me to be this hard, but it was beyond painful, which meant that this was the only alternative. The cold shower was shit.

With furrowed brows, I closed my eyes and attempted to imagine a faceless woman standing in front of me bare while my hand continued to pleasure myself under the covers. I swiped a bit of the pre-cum to use it as lubricate before doing it once more.

My heart was hammering against my chest loudly and my manhood ached, the more I thought about the naked woman sauntering over to me with her hips swaying in the process. Her entire body had an enchanting glow to it, due to the bright lights in my imaginary room.

Then it changed, or maybe it had always been that way, because there was no faceless woman anymore. There was the auburn-headed girl in front of me naked instead. Everything from her head full of auburn locks to her feet was perfect. It was hard to believe how beautiful she truly was, standing in front of me.

When reaching the bed, she climbed onto the bed, causing me to sink in a little while she slowly crawled over to me.

My heart was racing faster as she removed my hand and took over by wrapping those same fingers around me like she had earlier, and began pumping. She began trailing kisses down my body, lighting every inch of skin her lips came in contact with on fire the more she pumped and brushed her lips against me.

I could feel her breasts pressed against me as she trailed lower down while continuing her teasingly slow strokes. There was a rippling sensation of pleasure running through my entire body the more her lips trailed lower down my body until they reached what I desperately desired.

She looked up at me innocently and uttered a two syllable word that I couldn't catch before swiping her pink tongue against—

"Daddy!"

I bolted up, pulling the covers over myself like a teenaged guy being caught, even though I was already protected from the eyes. Looking in the direction of the voice, I spotted Xing standing beside my bed. I inhaled a deep breath before letting out a sigh, trying to get my breathing under control. Instantly, I felt myself going completely soft on the spot at the sight of the boy.

"What's wrong?" I asked calmly.

He squeezed his favorite bear to his chest. "I can't sleep..." he said quietly.

I closed my eyes and pulled the covers back on one side of the bed for him.

A bright smile tugged on his lips before he climbed under the covers with me.

I fixed my bottoms under the blankets before sitting up in the bed. I pulled the covers back and stepped out the bed. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. It'll only be a few seconds, so sit tight," I told him after he looked up at me, pleadingly.

"Okay, Daddy," he said quietly.

I walked to the bathroom and switched the light on. Running a frustrated hand through my hair, I walked over to the sink and turned the handle on to wash my hands. When looking up at my reflection, I mentally groaned, feeling disgusted with myself. I didn't even get the satisfaction of getting a release. Despite the dirty, disgusting, erotic...thoughts about the girl, I still had gotten nothing out of it. I was so close too. So fucking close until...

My body froze on realization of something. How long had Xing been standing by the bed? Was he watching me? Had he heard me? Was I making noise?

Shit.

I turned the water off and hurried back to the room after switching the light back off. Closing the bathroom door, I turned around and saw that Xing was sitting up on the bed. I dimmed the lights in the room and walked over to the bed and climbed in beside him.

"What's wrong, buddy?" I asked gently, pulling him towards me.

He snuggled up against me and I pulled us both back so my back could rest against the headboard of the bed.

"It was mommy..."

Closing my eyes, a sigh escaped past my lips before I squeezed his shoulder gently. "I thought we talked about this, Xing."

"I know...but she was there, Daddy. I just want to know..." he trailed off and pulled away from me.

I stared at him, wondering what was going on in his head. I was hoping that he wouldn't ask again. He had already asked twice since she had been gone. It nearly broke my heart having to tell him the same thing all the time.

I pulled him close to me again and sighed before sinking us both to lie down on the bed together.

"Want to know what?" I asked gently, hoping it wasn't what I was thinking.

He turned over in my arms and rested his chin on my chest, looking up at me. "Daddy, were you having a nightmare?" he asked innocently, looking at me.

My brows knitted together, wondering why he would ask something like that. "Why would you ask that?"

"You were making all kind of weird noises in your sleep."

My body froze under him before he laid his head down on my chest and drifted off to sleep.

Well, there was the answer to my questions.

* * *

Unconsciously, I glanced at the clock for the third time that evening, while drumming the tip of my fingers against the table in the conference room, with my leg bouncing up and down under the table.

5:54pm, it showed.

"Tokyo High is the school you'll teach at. Is that alright, Mr. Li?"

The urge to question if I had a choice was at the tip of my tongue. Instead, I nodded. "Yes, sir," I replied.

"School starts in two weeks. However, you're expected to begin school a week before the students do..."

Whatever he said after that was drowned out. Next week? Next freaking week? That was when I promised to take Xing out. Of all the weeks, it had to be next week. It couldn't be this week, but next week...

What the hell was I supposed to tell Xing now?

"Is tomorrow alright to meet with the principle of the school?"

My heart ached, picturing the tears that would be present in his eyes when I broke the horrid news to him. I had already done enough to break the boy, but I had to do more damage?

"Yes, sir," I answered simply.

It felt like I was answering both of the questions, because it was wholly truthful. More damage would be done to my son, by my own doings.

"Great! I talked with him earlier and he's excited about the whole idea..."

The man's words were drowned out again, when thinking about what I could tell Xing. There was nothing I could tell him besides the truth.

Maybe I was a bad father. Maybe what Kinomoto was thinking of me was right. It didn't take a genius to know that I was a terrible father.

I glanced at the clock once more to see that it was past six. Looks like I wasn't going to grant her, her wish either. Maybe I was a terrible person too.

I listened on to the rest of the meeting, taking in everything that was said about this shitty deal of the man's, while responding when necessary. I just wanted it to be over.

After the meeting ended, Hualing was close behind me announcing everything that had to be done for the remainder of the day.

Looks like I really wasn't going to make it home for dinner either.

Great.

* * *

 **A/N: So, what do you guys think of the chapter? It would have been longer, but if I wrote the next scene, the chapter would have been extremely long and coming out way later than this one did. Thanks for the reviews though!**

 **I do feel the need to explain the deal that was made in this chapter...I'm not sure how it's done in Japan or if it's done at all, but where I live, it is. I had the opportunity to take several college courses in high school, business being some of the courses. Business is not my major in college now, but I did take several the first year I did college classes in high school to see if I wanted to do it or not as a career. This was done at my high school, so I'm not sure where or if it's done in other places. That's why I decided to make it an experiment in the story so I don't mislead anyone into thinking they do this in Japan.**

 **Anyways, I am sorry for the late update, but college life has been drowning me, literally. I had a long weekend, so I figured, why not work on my stories? :)**

 **Please leave a review! Nice comments are what normally make me happy, but I do accept criticism too, to help me improve my writing!**

 **Ja ne!**


	10. No Such Thing As a Drunk

**"No Such Thing As a Drunk"**

* * *

Glancing at the clock one last time that evening, I realized that I had been doing that all day. It was already past six and Ms. Hana had already cooked us dinner and left because her daughter had been involved in a car accident. So, it was only Xing and I sitting at the kitchen table eating our food in a comfortable silence.

He had been overly happy today. Apparently, he was overjoyed because he had gotten the chance to sleep with his father last night and used some sort of super powers to prevent his dad from having nightmares. I didn't understand it one bit, but I had to give it to him. His imagination was pretty ridiculously hilarious, yet adorable at the same time.

Most definitely adorable.

"Your food will start to get cold if you don't eat, Sakura." He snapped me out of my reverie. My eyes shifted over in his direction.

He grinned at me. "Daddy says that all the time when I don't eat my food."

I looked down at his plate to see that he had already demolished all the food on it. I looked back at him before a small smile tugged at my lips. "You ate all your food like a big boy today," I said proudly.

He had never eaten all the food off his plate, or what I presumed. He was never given large portions, so I never understood why he didn't. Maybe it was a kid thing.

"Well, Daddy says that I should eat all of my food, if I want to be a big boy," he said grinning from ear to ear.

My cheeks warmed a bit at the excessive amount of times Xing kept mentioning the man. Last night, he was so...different. I never thought that he would ever make any kind of physical contact with me purposely, but he did. It felt...

My cheeks warmed a little more, trying to think of the word that he made me feel. It was weird, but nice. Definitely nice.

I could feel the fluttering sensation at the pit of my stomach, imagining his rough, but soft fingers caressing my face again.

"Are you okay, Sakura?"

I blinked out of my stupor and looked at Xing before a small smile crept to my lips again. "Yes, I was just thinking."

Xing giggled, covering his mouth with his hands.

I sent him a playful, questioning look. "Your thinking face..." he giggled again, "It looks so silly!" He burst into a fit of laughter, causing me to giggle and shake my head.

"You're one silly, little boy," I said playfully before picking up my chopsticks to finish the rest of the food.

After we both finished eating, we went to the living room and cuddled up on the couch and watched TV.

"We're going to go to Disney world. Aren't you excited, Sakura?" he reminded me for the umpteenth time that day. The little boy's mind sure could jump from one thing to the next because he was just engrossed with the show that was on the TV.

I smiled and nodded. "Of course I am." I squeezed him a little tightly to me.

A small smile crept to his lips before a light blush tainted his cheeks as he rubbed his face into my chest. "I'm so happy that I will be able to spend time with two of my favorite people, at the _same_ time," he said a little dazed.

I smiled and ruffled his hair, knocking him out of his reverie. Why could people not read kids minds?

His lips pouted as he swatted my fingers away from his head. I giggled and ruffled his hair again and he let out a loud groan. "Sakura," he whined, sounding a bit annoyed.

I removed my hand from his head smiling before looking at him to see a mischievous grin on his face. "You cheater," I poked his belly with my pointer finger gently, causing him to giggle.

I poked him again and he burst out laughing, grabbing my hand. I stopped and pulled him to me again, smiling.

I needed to stop before I spoiled the kid with so much affection, even though it felt like I was the one being spoiled.

"Why am I one of your favorite people?" I asked, bringing up his statement from earlier.

His cheeks colored again and he glanced up at me shyly. "It's a secret," he barely whispered.

"Well, I'll share a secret with you, if you tell me yours," I negotiated with the little boy.

His face brightened at that and he stood up on the couch, turning to me. " _Really_?!" he screeched.

Smiling, I grabbed his arm, pulling him to sit back down on the couch. "Mhm," I said.

He stood on the couch again excited and began jumping up and down on it.

"You have to stop jumping on the couch first."

He immediately propped down beside me at that. "Can I tell you mine first?" he asked looking at me with his big, amber eyes, reminding me of his dad.

I smiled at him softly and nodded.

He moved over to me and placed his hand beside my ear, getting ready to whisper the 'big' secret, but the front door opened and slammed shut loudly, causing Xing and I to jump at the impact.

I looked at the clock to see that it was 8:04pm before my eyes looked in the direction of the living room entrance, waiting for the man to walk through. And that he did.

"Daddy!" Xing yelled excitedly, slipping from my side and ran over to the man.

Xing grabbed his leg, hugging it tightly and my eyes moved up to Li's, who was standing frozen in his spot. When his eyes looked in my direction, my cheeks began to warm a little. I could feel that familiar fluttering sensation in my stomach again while my heart hammered against my chest rapidly as an image of last night flashed across my mind.

When our eyes locked, he glared at me and turned his attention down to the little guy hugging his leg.

The blood drained from my face, feeling a bit confused. What had I done _this_ time?

He ruffled Xing's hair before removing him from his leg and walked down the hall, away from him without forming any words to either of us.

I looked down to Xing and my eyes softened, seeing the disappointment that was painted on his face.

My heart crushed at the sight of his face, and I couldn't think of any encouraging words to speak to him.

His face had changed from disappointment, to sadness, to anger, then to hurt before I had enough of the horrid sight.

"Xing," I called softly, standing from the couch and walking over to him.

I received no response from him, but his shoulders tensed up, signifying that he had heard me.

Standing behind him, I decided to rest a hand on his shoulder, but before I could, he slapped my hand away reflexively, surprising me. I stood with my mouth opened a little, not believing he had really done that.

He ran to his room, never even glancing at me.

I bit my bottom lip, withholding the tears of sadness and anger. Sad for Xing, but angry at the man who caused Xing the pain.

He was such a jerk. How could he treat his own son like that? Did he not have a conscious? Did he not think that his son had been anticipating seeing him all day?

My fists clenched before I vigorously wiped the single tear that had slid down my cheek. I took a deep breath, then let it out a few times, trying to calm myself down. I know I was just being extremely emotional right now. Dad had always said that, when feeling overly emotional, take deep breaths to try and calm myself down when I was little, but I was beginning to wonder why he had promised that it had worked. I could still feel my blood boiling the more I thought about that infuriating man and Xing's tears.

 _Xing…_

This was about him, no one else.

My fists unclenched, deciding that I should go to Xing's room and comfort him after thinking about his tears. Why did his father have to be so mean?

I pushed the door opened to Xing's room quietly to see that he was lying down on the bed with his back facing the door. I heard sniffing and my heat nearly broke again at the sound. I slowly approached him and sat on the edge of the bed beside him.

"Xing…" I called softly, getting ready to rest a hand on his shoulder, but stopped myself.

His rejection was probably one of the most painful experiences I had ever had and I didn't want to relive it.

"Xing…" I called again, softer this time.

He turned to me, revealing his flushed cheeks and tears before he sniffed and sat up on the bed and crawled over to me. He wrapped his arms around my neck tightly and buried his wet face in my chest, wetting my bare skin slightly.

I pulled him in my lap, holding him tightly. "Daddy just had a hard day, baby. Remember, next week is the time when we get to spend a lot of time with him. You know that, right?" I whispered softly in his hair, hoping that, that worked.

"I'm sorry…" he said brokenly against my skin as he squeezed me tighter.

"Don't apologize…" I whispered and kissed his head lightly.

He stifled a sob and my eyes closed as I pulled him to me more. He cried for a few more minutes before he calmed down. His breathing was at an even pace and he was very quiet now.

I looked down at him to see that he had fallen asleep. He must have been extremely exhausted.

Sighing, I laid him on the bed, pulling the covers over his body, but his fingers kept a tight clutch on my top. I gently attempted to pry his fingers away, but his grip only tightened.

"Please stay with me…" he pleaded. He still had his eyes shut tightly as if he were in deep thought.

"Of course, sweetie," I said lying down on the small-sized bed that I had to curl up on.

He cuddled up to me and I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer to me. Was there some secret message that this kid couldn't be happy, that I wasn't aware of? Was there something I was missing?

A frown tugged at my lips as I smoothed down his disheveled hair that was tickling my face. Why could he not be happy?

My hand dragged down to his wet cheeks and swiped away the tear stains before I rested my head against his pillow and closed my eyes. I prayed a silent prayer that he could maintain a permanent happiness like most kids have.

I didn't know how long I had been lying there, but I could feel my eyes begin to drift shut slowly, feeling sleep overtake me. Xing had long fallen into a deep slumber because his breathing pace had been even, so it would be alright for me to too.

Just when my eyes fully closed, they shot opened in a heartbeat, hearing a glass shatter.

I looked at the clock on the wall, wondering what could have possibly broken at this time of the night. Li had come home long ago, so he had to have been sleeping now and Xing was here with me, so who could have been up past midnight?

I gently peeled Xing's body from mine, feeling a bit guilty for having to leave the little boy. His grip on my top wasn't loosening though, so I grabbed his hand and my top gently, pulling them apart.

He stirred in his sleep, but turned to the other side of the bed and hugged his favorite bear, letting out a soft sigh before he relaxed again.

I sighed and quietly walked out of the room, being sure to close the door behind me slightly. Walking down the hall, I tried remembering where the shattering sound was more profound moments ago before thinking of the kitchen. I glanced at the front door, making sure it was closed securely, before walking to the kitchen. I gasped and stopped at the entrance, shocked by the sight before me.

There Li was, shirtless again, bending down to pick up the broken shards of glass with his bare hands.

My face felt like it could melt from the heat as I stared at his attractive physique. How could someone look this attractive?

I hadn't even noticed that I was staring at his lips until a sharp inhale came from his mouth. I glanced down to see that he had cut himself with one of the glass pieces. What was wrong with him, using his bare hands to pick up broken glass pieces?

Bruising my bottom lip with my teeth, I slowly walked in the kitchen to see if he was okay.

"Li-san?"

Immediately, he looked up at me and stood from the floor.

My eyes travelled down to his bare, chiseled chest again, feeling warmth spread throughout my body at his gaze on me.

"Kinomoto," he said in a raspy tone, causing my body to break out in goosebumps. Why was everything so attractive about this man?

"Shit." He winked, looking down.

My gaze followed his and I gasped."You're bleeding!" I rushed to his side and grabbed his hand gently, without much thought of the consequences.

His entire body froze, but I didn't pay close attention to it as I dragged him over to the sink, wanting to fix his finger. Turning the knob, I pushed his hand under the running water, rinsing the blood off his fingers.

"You shouldn't be so careless," I said very quietly, almost sure that he did not hear me.

A weird snorting noise emitted from him before he snatched his hand back from me, causing the water to splash on me slightly. "Like you're one to talk," he said haughtily.

A frown tugged at my lips before I huffed, feeling annoyed with the man and his sudden change of behavior towards me. What had I done to him this time? He had no right to treat me like this.

Never mind that, he had no right to treat Xing like he had earlier. Xing had been so happy to see him, yet he ignored his existence. The look on Xing's face had been so broken. It was not fair and I was beginning to have enough of his rude attitude.

"What is your problem?" I asked, attempting to keep my tone under control.

I didn't want disrespect the man in his own home. I had been taught better than that, but he was making it so hard not to.

"What's _my_ problem? Are you seriously asking me that?" He leaned against the sink and crossed his arms over his bare chest, with that same haughty look on his face.

I could feel the blood rush to my face. Quite frankly, I wasn't even sure if it was because of my growing attraction to him or the anger that I had felt towards him at the moment this time.

"Yes, I'm asking that. You did not have to treat Xing, your own _son_ , like that earlier. That was so cruel—it was terrible and you—"

My body slammed against something behind me painfully hard, causing my eyes to shut tight at the pain.

"Are we really going to go there right now?" he asked dangerously low.

My eyes shot opened, coming face to face with the man's face dangerously close to mine. My heart began to race and I could feel the bottom of my stomach have that familiar tug again even though I was furious.

I bit my lip lightly before trying to move from the wall behind me, but I couldn't. He had my body trapped to it with his own, holding me in place almost painfully hard, so escape wasn't an option for me. I almost fainted at the close proximity, but held it together for both of our sakes.

"You, of all people, have no right to tell me about myself. You should be questioning yourself. Who the hell comes into a stranger's home?" he whispered angrily, _very_ close to my face.

It was hard concentrating on what he said while feeling his hot breath brush against my skin though. There was a whiff of something that invaded my senses soon after. It smelled like...alcohol?

My eyes glanced up to his eyes to see them unfocused as he glared at the wall behind me. His face was slightly flushed, which only confirmed my suspicion.

He was drunk.

Feeling like fuel had only been added to the flames, my fists clenched. How could he get drunk with Xing here? What was his problem? What if Xing had woken up instead and saw him like this? Had he lost his mind?!

"Who in the world gets drunk with a four-year-old child in their home?" I snapped, glaring at him.

His fists slammed against the wall behind me, causing me to jump at the impact, shocked. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

"Fuck..." he said a little clearer.

"Fuck!" he said louder this time.

My eyes snapped open, not even realizing I had shut them again. I looked at his face to see that familiar look I had a glimpse of the other night. I couldn't even feel the slightest bit guilty for my words because he deserved them. He should know better than to do something this irrational. He was a _father_ , for goodness sake. What was he thinking?

He leaned forward and my heart skipped a beat, seeing his lips come closer to mine, but his head turned at the last second and rested on the wall that I was pressed against.

Goosebumps crept on every inch of my skin, feeling his hot breath brush against my bare shoulder. I remained still, oblivious to what he would do next. What _was_ he trying to do?

I stood there holding my breath, anxious of his next move for the few deadly silent minutes that passed between us. Neither of us uttered a word, nor had we even made the slightest of movement. Just torturously stood still and silent, pressed against each other. Or, he pressed against me. Whichever way a passerby would take it.

A few more seconds ticked by before there was a low chuckle that came from him. There was no humor in it, which meant that it was a bad thing.

"You think that you can come here and tell me how to parent a kid? _My_ kid? You don't even understand the half of it." He paused and his breath caught in his throat.

"You're not the one who has to tell him that he doesn't have a mother around anymore. Tell him that you can't spend time with him because you're overloaded with work. See those tears in his eyes because of something that _you_ did..." His head leaned against my shoulder now, causing my body to stiffen.

"You tell him that you can't take him to Disney world next week...that you can't spend any time with him at all because you're too damn busy for him." I heard his hand sliding down the wall beside my head before it rested on my other shoulder, grabbing it almost painfully tight. "Get told that your own kid hates you. I know I don't get father of the year award, but I'm _trying_. You fucking tell me what kind of parent you would be?" he whispered brokenly.

My eyes shifted to the kitchen entrance, making sure Xing had not woken up and walked in on the scene. I looked back to the head full of chestnut hair and sighed, feeling guilty and a bit sympathetic for him.

"Li-san," I called softly.

"And then you..." I froze, wondering what problems I could possibly cause the man. "You're just here and you're..."

I gasped when his warm lips barely brushed against my bare shoulder. I would have thought I imagined it, if it weren't for the rush of electricity sparks that glided throughout my entire body. My hands shot up to his bare chest, ready to push him away, but the sharp inhale of breath that came from him stopped me.

"I-I what?" I stuttered, feeling my face heat up.

"You..." His lips brushed against my bare shoulder again and I shuttered as my eyes shut involuntarily.

"Li-san, you're drunk," I said weakly, even though I made no effort to push him away. What was wrong with me?

"There is no such thing," he whispered against my skin before his lips dragged across my skin again, lighting it on fire.

"Li-san," I heard myself almost whimper weakly. Was that my voice?

It was becoming harder to stand on my own the more his lips came in contact with my skin as he began to drag his lips over to my collarbone, never letting his lips leave my skin.

He pressed his body against mine harder, surely holding up my weight and I felt something hard press against me between our lower bodies. An involuntary gasp came from my lips at the feeling and my hand on his chest flattened, allowing my fingers to caress him, not being able to resist the urge to touch the intimidating man anymore.

"Li-san," I tried again, but his hot lips only wrapped around my collarbone, causing my fingers to reflexively grasp his pec shakily.

A strangled groan vibrated against my skin as his lips dragged over to the curve of my neck and shoulder before he pressed his hips back and forth against me, causing me to get a feel of the hardness between his legs more.

I could feel myself blushing from head to toe, realizing the act he was attempting to perform against me. There was a burning ache between my legs the more he planted kisses against my skin and rubbed himself against me. It was almost becoming unbearably painful as I bit my lip, holding back the weird noises my vocal chords were trying to disgorge.

Unconsciously, the hand on his chiseled chest began to experimentally slide down the defined muscles, memorizing all the curves and crevices as my fingers shakily travelled lower, very slowly.

On feeling his wet tongue against my skin, a soft moan somehow escaped my mouth and my fingers came to a halt of their exploring.

I was taking advantage of the man. I knew better than this and would never do anything like this with anyone. He was drunk. I was taking advantage of a drunken man.

 _But he said he wasn't._

Shaking my head to get rid of the ridiculous thought, I moved my hand from his chest regretfully and slid my fingers in the back of his soft disheveled hair, gently pulling on it a little hard to get his attention.

He lifted his head and stopped his hip movements, looking at me questioningly with the dilated eyes.

My cheeks warmed at the look he was giving me before I shook my head, hoping to get rid of the feeling. "W-we shouldn't be doing this," I said, almost questioningly.

A lazy smirk crept to his lips and he rested his forehead against mine with his eyes closed. "You don't sound so sure yourself."

My eyes widened. "Y-you are really drunk, Li-san," I said shakily.

He began to lean down and I was sure that he would kiss my lips this time, but his lips came in contact with my nose instead.

"Goodnight, Kinomoto," he whispered huskily before removing his body from mine.

The moment his body left mine, it felt like a bucket of ice water was thrown on my body.

He began to walk away, stepping on some of the shards of glass as he stumbled the rest of the way out of the kitchen.

When he disappeared, I released the breath that I was holding, feeling my heart beat so fast that it could possibly jump right out of my chest. I was trying to catch my breath, more than I could actually breathe. My body remained pressed against the wall, not able to move from the spot he had me pressed against just moments ago.

I rested a hand over my chest, rubbing soothing circles over my chest, hoping to calm down my heart. It wasn't working.

Taking one last deep breath and letting it out, I removed myself from the wall and hopped over the glass pieces before looking for the broom to sweep up the broken glass.

After finishing, I threw the glass pieces in the trashcan and headed back to Xing's room to check on him. He was still fast asleep and that washed off the rest of the uneasiness that I had been feeling. If he had caught us in such a compromising position, it would have probably broken him. We needed to be more careful.

I stopped in my tracks as I was walking to my room, wondering why I had thought that. It wasn't like we had anything going on, so why was I suddenly assuming that we did?

We do _not_ have anything going on, Sakura.

The man was drunk and feeling extremely vulnerable and I almost took advantage of him. What was wrong with me? I would never do something like that because it was wrong.

Why did it feel so right though? Taking advantage of people was wrong. _So_ wrong. But his lips...

My stomach tied in knots and my cheeks burned, thinking about his lips. They felt _so_ right. My eyes began to drift shut as I leaned against the wall to steady myself when a mental image of his lips on mine came to mind.

They had almost touched mine. It was so close. Even if it would have just been the briefest of touch, it would have probably been amazing—

My eyes snapped opened, embarrassment and shame washing over me on realizing what I was mentally picturing. Maybe I was getting in way over my head.

Not maybe, I _was_ getting in over my head. How could I begin to imagine Xing's father kissing me? I didn't even know him enough to desire to be involved with him like that, so why was I? I was being very promiscuous.

My brows knitted together, wondering if that would make me a promiscuous person.

A promiscuous person was someone who engaged in sexual activities with a lot of different people. I had never been involved with anyone sexually before, so just because my body wanted to be involved with someone didn't make me one, right?

 _Did_ I want to be involved with the man sexually? Was this even the feeling everyone talked about at school?

 _Even though you're 17…_

Closing my eyes again and ignoring my inner voice, I lifted my weight from the wall and walked to my room, silently praying that the questions would stop and the feeling would disappear. This was beyond inappropriate and exactly what the man had said would never happen. Yet here I was, trying to make it happen. I would be a dead girl in the morning if he remembered anything that happened tonight.

My body froze instantly on thinking that. Would he remember? People get drunk all the time and not remember what happened the next day, so would it be the same for him, right?

I pushed my hair back from my face, pulling on it anxiously. I almost started hyperventilating, thinking about the outcome of my stupid, lustful actions. What would I do if he did remember?

I released my hair from my firm grasp and inhaled a deep breath before exhaling. I did that two times before I finally calmed down.

Everything would be alright. I just needed to pretend it never happened, and everything would be alright.

I slipped under the covers and closed my eyes, praying to every single god out there that the intimidating man wouldn't remember anything.

* * *

My eyes squeezed shut tighter as my body tried to ignore the thing that was intruding in on my sleep.

"Sakura..." I heard the little voice call out again. It had been going on and on for the last 30 minutes or so, but I thought, maybe if I keep pretending to be in a deep slumber, it would stop. Wrong. I was so wrong because he never stopped.

"Sakura…"

I groaned before my eyes finally fluttered opened. Looking down, my face encountered the little mischievous boy who had been harassing me for the last 30 minutes. A smile tugged at my lips when I saw him sitting on the bed, looking as though he had been patiently waiting for me.

" ** _Finally_** ," he said dramatically before crawling over to me and getting under the blankets with me lying down. He grabbed my arm and shuffled his way under it.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer to me, granting his wish.

"Why did you ignore me? Do you not want to be with me anymore?" he asked sadly.

I hummed and pulled him closer to me. "Would I really have you wrapped in my arms if that was the case?" I asked sleepily.

He sat up and looked at me with his face scrunched up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just sleepy. I do want to be with you still, silly," I decided on, instead of explaining what I meant.

"Oh..." He smiled and lay back down on the bed beside me. He rested his head on the back of his hand while staring at me.

"I'm sorry for crying again," he said suddenly.

"Xing, I told you not to apologize for that," I said softly.

"I know...I want to make Daddy very happy now," he said and a small smile formed on his face.

"How are you going to do that?" I decided to play along.

"Well, I was hoping that you could tell me," he said sheepishly.

"Hmm..." I pretended to be in deep thought. "How about we start off by being on our best behaviors."

He sighed and hid his face under the covers.

"What is it?"

"That doesn't make him happy..." he sounded a bit muffled.

"Of course, it does. It makes me happy, so it has to make him happy too." I blushed a little, thinking about the man. It was too early for this.

"Really?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yes, really."

He peeked at me under the covers, shyly. "Okay..." he said quietly.

Smiling, I pulled the covers back so he could be exposed to me before looking at the clock. "You're up pretty early. What woke you up?"

A bright smile spread across his face. "Daddy!"

My body froze on the spot. Was he already awake?

I glanced at the clock again.

5:02am.

Why was he awake so early?

"W-what do you mean?" I asked nervously.

"Well, I had a really _really_ bad dream that Elly the elephant eats Daddy! It was a really, really scary dream," he said dramatically.

I let out a relieved sigh, glad that the man was not awake yet.

"And then I woke up when I heard my door opening and Daddy walked in!" he said excitedly.

My heart nearly dropped to the bottom of my stomach at that added on information. "S-so he's already awake?" I asked, silently praying that he was not.

"Yes. Do you want to go and play with him—?"

"No!" I said almost immediately.

His head titled to the side, a look of confusion plastered on his face.

"I mean...I'm sure that Daddy is very busy with his work to play with us and we don't want to be a bother to him," I explained, hoping that he would buy it.

"But Daddy won't think that we are bothering him. He said that he will be here all day, so if I need anything I could just ask him," he said grinning.

Everything had to have stopped functioning in my body surely.

He was joking. He _had_ to be joking. Li would never skip out on work. Last night he had just told me that he was too busy for Xing, so there was no way that he would be here all day. He said that he was...

I glanced down at Xing and felt my eyes softening. Why was I being a terrible human being by not giving the man the benefit of the doubt? Why was I trying to find excuses for Xing to not be happy?

They were a broken family and here I was, trying to back out of the plan to put them back together because of a stupid encounter that occurred between the man and me. There wasn't much I could probably do, but I could at least try to be there for him. How could I act so selfish?

Forgetting my own fears, I pulled Xing to my side, hugging him tightly. "Okay, Xing. It's a bit early to play now, so let's just go and watch TV until Ms. Hana comes by for breakfast, then later on we can play with Daddy," I suggested.

He appeared to be in deep thought before he smiled widely. "Okay," he said, and then hugged me tightly.

"I love you _so_ much, Sakura," he mumbled into my shoulder.

My mouth fell opened, shocked by what he said. Nothing came out, or nothing that would make sense because I didn't know how to respond to that.

Thankfully, he released me and climbed off the bed and turned to me. "Come on." He looked at me patiently.

I took a deep breath, hoping that I would not run into the man just yet. I would have to face him eventually, but not so early in the morning. I was already barely awake now.

What would I do _if_ I saw him this early? With the way my behavior had been lately, I wouldn't be surprised if I jumped his bones at the given opportunity.

My cheeks warmed a bit at the thought before I slid out of the bed and grabbed Xing's hand.

We walked out of my room, into the living room, having no signs of Li, thankfully. After turning the TV on, we cuddled up on the couch and watched our normal television shows together. It didn't take a long time for Xing to be enraptured by the TV series, leaving me to my thoughts.

I needed to figure out what I was going to do if Li remembered what happened last night. This feeling of anticipation would never wear off, knowing that I didn't know if he was thinking about it right now as much as I had been.

Where was he even at right now? Did he not mean it when he told Xing that he would be here all day? Maybe he was not even here. Maybe I was stressing and losing hair over nothing. I did tend to overthink everything, so maybe I was doing that now too. I just needed to calm down and let everything pan out as it should. Besides, he was probably not even here—

"Daddy!"

My eyes closed, not knowing if that sound was adorable or horrid anymore. Why did this always have to happen to me?

I avoided looking in their direction, trying to ignore their conversation. Maybe Li hadn't noticed me here because I couldn't feel him staring at me. None of his attention was on me. That was a good thing. A very, _very_ good thing. Why did I feel a little disappointed though?

"Is that understood?" I heard Li ask.

Is what understood?

"Yes, Daddy. And I'm sorry about last night again," Xing whispered, but he was never good at whispering.

"I told you to stop apologizing..." The rest of the sentence was very distant and I began to wonder why.

Nervously, I looked in the direction to see that the two had disappeared from the living room and I couldn't have been happier and relieved than I had felt right now.

It felt nice to be alone at the moment because it had seemed like it was an eternity since I had been. It was only just a few days ago when I was alone, yet it felt like forever. Maybe he would let me have a rest for the weekend.

It was Friday after all and he said that the weekends were my free days off. That meant Saturday and Sunday would be me time, right? I needed to get away and clear my head because this wasn't right. Thinking about Xing's father like this was stupid. He would never see me like that, so why should I try to allow myself to become involved?

I sighed and turned my direction back to the TV, staring at the screen not really paying attention to the series. Why could a hole just not swallow me already? That would probably be the best thing that could happen to me right now.

"So, you'll be right back after you finish talking to Ms. Mizuki?" I distinctly heard Xing asking. His footsteps were coming closer, which only meant that they were coming back now.

"Yes, but remember what I told you?"

My body froze and I was sure the tip of my ears to the tip of my chin had probably turned to an ugly shade of red at hearing that voice.

"Yes sir, I understand," Xing said like a well-behaved child.

"Good. Be good while I'm gone for a few, alright?"

"Yes sir," Xing said before I heard his footsteps walking towards me again.

I didn't even bother to look back at the man before welcoming Xing back with opened arms the moment he reached the couch.

"Kinomoto."

I froze hearing Li call my name, fearing that he had remembered. From the tone of his voice, I already knew that he had though.

Hesitantly, I turned towards him and my cheeks burned even more when I saw him staring at me intensely.

Swallowing, I opened my mouth. "Y-yes?" I squeaked.

He stared at me for a few moments, only rising more suspense for me before he decided to speak. "We..." he stopped and just stared at me for a moment before he blinked and shook his head. "We need to talk when I get back."

Before I could respond, he had already disappeared through the front door.

He remembered. That was the only thing that he had to say for me to know that. Why did he have to remember? Why did he want to talk? No, what was there to talk about?

 _Maybe starting with the way he roughly slammed you against the wall and violated your body._

I wanted to punch my conscious so badly right now. It could never keep quiet! It was more like the other way around anyway, because he was drunk. I was the one who took advantage—

"Sakura?" I heard Xing calling.

I looked down at him and forced a smile. "We should get you ready for the day then?"

"Okay!"

With that, we dressed him in his attire for practice and set up the kitchen table for Ms. Hana before she arrived.

We were back to where we were earlier, waiting for Ms. Hana to arrive so we could eat breakfast. It was kind of a shame that the woman had to wake up early and come here to do the duties of the house when I was here, but Li insisted that it was not necessary.

"Daddy said that we will go out tonight. Do you want to come with us?" He looked at me hopefully.

"Xing," I said softly.

His mouth opened, turning upside down slightly, realizing what I would say. "Please..." he whispered desperately.

Then I remembered why he was really asking me if I could come.

"How did you feel _before_ I got here?"

"A very long time ago, we didn't used to go out a lot..." He turned to me and clasped his hands together and gave me the eyes. _The_ eyes. "Please..."

I scratched the back of my head nervously, looking around for something—anything to help me out of this situation.

Why, oh _why_ did the little boy love to put me in awkward predicaments?

I pulled him to me and hugged him, hoping that would work.

He pouted and pulled back. "Please, Sakura..."

Just when I had decided to cave in to the amber eyes and ask his dad, a knock on the door interrupted our conversation. I hurriedly stood up and answered the door immediately, happy to see the woman smiling at me brightly.

"Good morning, Sakura. You're awfully frantic this morning," Ms. Hana said walking inside after I stepped to the side.

"You have no idea..." I murmured under my breath before closing the door behind her.

"Ms. Hana!" Xing exclaimed, running over to us and hugging Ms. Hana's legs.

She giggled and patted his head lightly before picking him up in her arms. "Wow, you're getting heavy, aren't you?" She tickled his belly with the tips of her finger.

He giggled and nodded his head. "It's because I'm a big boy now!" He lifted his hands up, emphasizing how big he was.

"I bet this big boy is hungry."

On cue, his stomach made a funny sound and he blushed.

We started laughing at him before heading to the kitchen. We did the usual, me and Xing fixing the table and helping when we could, while she cooked us breakfast.

Afterwards, we ate then cleaned the kitchen before she left. Xing was now headed to practice with Mr. Chenchi and I was headed back to my own room, glad that I could get a little break from the little boy. He had been on his game today.

It seemed like he was purposely trying to torture me this morning. Did he not sense or see the distress I was in with everything he was saying and doing? Four-year-olds were not supposed to be torturing people like this, so why was Xing torturing me?

I heard the front door opening and was tempted to run the rest of the way to my room, but remained calm, but maybe picking up the pace to my room a little bit.

"Kinomoto."

I stopped, just in front of my door at the call of my name by the man. I released the handle of the door and turned in his direction, forcing a smile on my face. "Li-san," I said stiffly.

He stared at me hard for a few seconds before he started walking in my direction.

My eyes closed, already knowing my fate. This was it, the moment that had been pestering me all morning. The moment I had been so patiently waiting for.

He had to choose the perfect time too, when Xing was in training with Mr. Chenchi. He was always ten steps ahead of the game as Ms. Hana had said.

"Kinomoto," he said, closer than I had anticipated him to be.

My eyes opened, seeing him only mere centimeters away from me. I looked up slowly and blushed when my eyes came in contact with his lips before they traveled higher to his eyes, where he was staring at me intensely.

My cheeks warmed even more, thinking about the way they had looked at me last night. I was such an idiot! I should just start apologizing and begging him.

Right, that was smart.

"I—"

"Would you mind if we talked somewhere more..." He paused and looked back before turning back to me, "My study."

Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to his study.

Kill. Me. Now.

* * *

 **So...what did you guys think? Besides the annoying cliffhanger, of course lol. I had a free weekend and decided to work on my stories a bit, but I only have one test this week, so I should find time to start writing the next chapter. Thank you guys for the reviews, you really don't know how much they mean to me!**

 **Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter, so please review! I'm not begging for reviews, but I'm begging, so _PLEASE_! :P**

 **Ja ne! :D**


	11. Change of Plans Part 1

**"Change of Plans Part 1"**

* * *

My heart raced after hearing the clicking sound of the door as it closed behind Li. The moment he turned to me, my breath caught in my throat at the intense gaze upon me. Almost immediately, they softened, looking into my eyes.

Huh? Didn't he remember? Of course, he remembered. There was no way that I had been getting worked up about this for nothing.

We stared at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat, eyes straying from mine. "About last evening—"

I knew it!

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" I closed my lips together tightly at the outburst when I noticed the strange, questioning look on his face.

"I... uh...didn't make it home for dinner last evening because something came up at the office," he said looking at me, silently questioning my random outburst with his penetrating eyes.

My entire face probably turned an ugly shade of red after realizing he wasn't talking about the same incident as myself. Why did I have this habit of making myself look like a fool in front of intimidating people?

"Oh...it's...fine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I just thought that you were talking about something else and maybe you had decided that you wanted me gone, or I wasn't appropriate enough to be around Xing and I wasn't—"

To my surprise, he chuckled.

 **He _chuckled_!**

The same intimidating, intense, fearful, powerful and all, Li Syaoran, chuckled. What the heck? Were cows finally jumping over the moon? Better yet, was there finally a blue moon?

"Do you always ramble?" he asked, sounding a bit amused.

Who was this man standing in front of me? It certainly wasn't the same man who took me in.

Swallowing, I nervously nodded. "Yes. It's a habit that I've always had..." I trailed off awkwardly.

He hummed. "Well, look. Something came up yesterday, so we can't take a long vacation as originally planned," he said.

All fear and anxiety washed away at that, but in exchange with dread and disappointment for Xing.

I didn't think that he meant it last night because I figured it was the alcohol talking. It was clearly the alcohol controlling his actions, so his words were being controlled by it too. Alcohol sure influenced people's lives…

Xing had been so excited about it too...

Now I understood why he was so beat up about it last night. That still didn't give him an excuse to get drunk with a mischievous, four-year-old who looked for any and every mistake a person made.

My shoulders relaxed from the tension in them though "I'm sorry, Li-kun," I said, looking down at the floor. I felt a little bad for him now. Only a little.

"Instead, I'm going to surprise him and just continue the plan this weekend," he said. "The offer still stands for you to come along." He was looking at me even though I wasn't looking up.

When looking up, my assumptions were confirmed. Sighing in relief, I nodded. "Yes," I said. "I'd love to tag along, if it's not a problem for the two of you."

He nodded, and then walked to his desk. He picked up a white, sealed envelope and handed it to me.

I stared at it confused before taking it from him.

"That's the money for looking after Xing. I would normally give it to you at the end of the week, but this weekend will be busy and I don't want to forget to give it to you," he said formally.

I sighed softly and nodded, uneasy about this much money in my hands. Particularly since it was something that I was willing to do for free.

"Alright…" I trailed off awkwardly. Why did I get cursed with this 'too awkward' thing around intimidating people?

"I know that it's abrupt, but we are going to leave at 11 this morning in my private jet," he said, filling in the awkward gap.

My eyes widened at the sudden information. I waited for him to continue though.

"If we leave at 11, we should get to America by 3am, our time. It will only be 2pm, a day before our time there, so I saw fit to do that," he said.

My heart nearly burst out of my chest, beating so hard and fast, nervous suddenly. It was so soon...

I had never been across the country before and I would be going with people that I barely knew. Why didn't I feel the least bit scared?

I paused, taking in all the emotions that I was feeling currently. Fear definitely wasn't one of them and that alone scared me.

"Alright," I said quietly. "I mean, when will we come back? School starts Monday..."

"Oh—"

"I mean next Monday," I interrupted nervously. "Sorry for interrupting..." I added sheepishly.

Why was I panicking and so nervous again?

Oh yeah, I nearly felt the man's entire body pressed against mine last night and liked it...

My eyes unconsciously landed on his lips, cheeks flaming hot when an image of them on me flashed across my mind.

"Tuesday," I read them articulate.

I looked in his eyes and nodded. "Okay..." I cleared my throat, when noticing how low I sounded. He didn't like that. "I'm going to go and..." I trailed off when noticing the way he stared at me. It was a similar look to last night's, which only made the hairs on my body stand on end. What was he thinking right now?

"Do you have your birth certificate?" he asked suddenly.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I will make sure that everything is taken care of, but you will need that."

"Alright," I said quietly.

An awkward silence passed between us for at least 30 seconds before he decided to break it.

"You were right," he said.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"It is irresponsible and inappropriate of me to drink any alcoholic beverages in my home with Xing here," he said quietly.

My face had to have been melting right now, realizing that he remembered last night's events. Why couldn't I just die now? No, better yet, why didn't God just kill me after it happened? Was the almighty being up there laughing, along with all the other gods?

"I shouldn't have done it, but so much was happening yesterday and I..."

I held my breath, hoping that I could just disappear before he said the next thing. "I know you're probably thinking very lowly of me, but there really was a lot on my plate at the time and I wasn't thinking, which is still not excusable," he said.

My lips remained tightly pressed together, scared that I would spit everything out at once. I couldn't tell him that I liked what he was doing to me and wanted more, but my stupid rambling disorder was trying to force me to. Goodness, what was wrong with me?

"And I…" He stopped, only forcing me to assume what he was about to bring up next.

"No, you don't have to apologize for that. I swear I didn't mean to almost take advantage of you, but it just happened. I barely had any control over myself. No, wait, what am I talking about? It was you who didn't have control over your actions, but still, I—"

"Kinomoto," he interrupted me, causing me to shut my lips together tightly again.

"Y-yes?" I asked, looking at him hesitantly.

"You're rambling again..." he said with the same amused tone as earlier. Was he getting something out of me being this nervous and near death around him? What kind of person got a rise out of seeing a poor girl in distress?

Leave it up to Li, Syaoran.

"I—"

"I have a few things to get done, so would you mind packing Xing a bag for the weekend?" he asked.

I stared at him, waiting. Waiting for him to mention the incident, but it never came. He clearly remembered, but was refusing to acknowledge it. I wasn't sure how I should feel about it. Sad, hurt, angry, or disappointed. For what though?

It wasn't like he saw me like that, or probably even thought of me at all during his day. Yet I kept finding myself thinking about him...

What the heck, Sakura?

"S-sure," I stuttered and rushed to the door, hoping to get away before I could further embarrass myself in front of the man.

When reaching the door, I grabbed the handle and opened it quickly, but it was shut before I could escape.

I froze, feeling the heat of a body behind me, but not directly touching me. Looking to the side of my head, Li's palms were pressed against the door, obviously the source of the door being shut.

"I've judged you..." he said behind me, causing my skin to tingle at his husky voice. Why did he always have this effect on me?

I remained silent, eyes drifting shut, waiting for him to continue because there was more. It was an open-ended statement.

"I don't normally make assumptions about people that I don't know well, but it's different with you. My son..." He sighed. "He likes you for whatever reason, so, I should stop the assumptions and give you a chance. I need to understand why Xing likes you so much."

What did he mean?

I couldn't turn around and face him, fearing that his face would be too close to mine. Close to the point where I would begin to think the inappropriate things again.

"O-okay..." I said quietly.

He removed his hand from the door. "Kinomoto," he said in a tone I was all too familiar with.

He wanted more than that response. A louder one, even. I couldn't offer more than that this time though. My lungs weren't letting me, just like my body wasn't capable enough to move.

"Look at me," he commanded in a tone that made me feel like he was scolding me.

Almost uncontrollably, I turned around slowly and looked up at him sheepishly, cheeks hot the moment my eyes met his, staring intensely at me.

"This little get away will help me understand Xing's liking for you. I need to know if I can _really_ trust you with my son alone," he said, and then sighed. "When school starts, I don't think I'll really have the time to be around as much anymore, so it will just be you and Xing majority of the time."

What?

"I'm still going to come home, but things in my life will be busier than normal, so there will be days where I don't see Xing at all. I want to know that I can really trust you with him," he said.

No... No, no, no. This was wrong. This was _all_ wrong. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was trying to push them together, not see them get pulled further apart more. This couldn't possibly be happening...

"Don't..." I heard him say suddenly.

I looked in his eyes, seeing the reflection of my own, watering. I was _not_ going to cry again. Why was I such a crybaby?

"How is that possible though? You barely see him now..." I said sadly, more to myself, but it was still without thinking.

He remained silent, dropping his head. "Thanks for the notice," he said sarcastically, cold even.

Oh no...

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, Li-kun," I said immediately.

"I don't need you reminding me how much of a shitty father I am," he said, without any trace of emotion behind his tone.

My face changed, probably to one of confusion. "I wasn't—"

"No, you were...actually, you always _are_ ," he said, raising his voice a bit. "Coming here, trying to steal my role of parenting from me with my own kid, doing a better job than I've ever done and..." His head snapped back up, eyes locking with mine, with a glare. "Just stop it, damn it. Stop trying to be his mother...no, stop being better than his mother," he said, continuing to glare at me.

"I—"

"Sakura! Daddy!" I heard Xing's voice and his little footsteps running in the house, no doubt looking for us.

"Look who he calls first," Li said under his breath sarcastically before gently pushing me from the door so he could open it.

He motioned for me to walk out first, and then followed suit behind me.

"There you guys are!" Xing said excitedly. "Were you guys playing hide and seek without me?" he asked in a playful, suspicious tone.

Forgetting the previous conversation with Li for the moment, I smiled at Xing warmly and walked in his direction. "Why would we play without you? You're the best at that game, remember?" I asked.

He hugged my leg tightly, eyes closed and a small smile on his lips. "You're right. Aren't I, Daddy?" Xing asked, looking in Li's direction.

"Come here, Xing," he softly commanded.

This again? Protecting Xing from me like I would harm him? Did he really think that I was trying to compete with him for his son's affection?

Just when I thought that we would get along...

Xing walked over to him with a huge grin on. "I'm very _very_ dirty from training, Daddy. Could Sakura and I take a bubble bath together?" Xing asked.

"No. You know better than asking something like that. Come on," Li said.

Before Xing could respond, Li was already picking him up and walking towards the bathroom, away from me.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair a bit annoyed. I couldn't tell if it was with him or me for opening my stupid, big mouth. I really needed to learn to control my tongue. I didn't mean to offend him again, but it was true. Since I got here, I hadn't seen him around often even though it hadn't really been long.

Mentally shaking my head from the thoughts, I headed to Xing's room and still packed him a bag for the trip and then went back to my room and showered. After I finished my morning routine, I packed my own bag, not too sure what to pack though since I didn't know everything that we would be doing while over there. Likewise, I packed a little of everything, but not too much, just to be safe.

Safe...

Sighing, I realized that I could possibly be in danger. That man sure had a temper on him...

Every little thing ticked him off and everything that I did seemed to offend him. My words could be careless sometimes, but I had never done or said anything over the line to make him so angry.

 _And telling him that he's never around his kid isn't bad…_

Maybe I shouldn't have said that earlier, but it was without thinking, stupid conscious. He wasn't around a lot and it was like Xing was becoming my child, not that I thought it though.

I just couldn't win with Li. He said that he wanted to get to know me, but became offended by everything that I did. What other way could I approach him getting to know me without offending him? He said he wanted to trust me.

I sighed again. Certainly not mentioning his parenting style, even though I had only done that once, which was last night in his drunken state. I surely wouldn't be doing that again if I wanted to stay in his good graces. If he wanted to do irrational things with Xing around, he could, but I couldn't just sit back and ignore it.

I fell back on the bed, deciding to stay in this room to get a mini break from the two. They needed one from me too, surely.

Li may have been thinking that I was trying to steal his son away, but it wasn't true. It was the opposite really because I was trying to get them closer. He could believe whatever he wanted though.

With that thought in mind, my eyes began to drift shut, falling into a much-needed rest.

I didn't know how long I was sleeping, but it sure didn't feel like a long time when I felt a little person shaking my body vigorously.

"Come on, or Daddy will leave you," the little voice said, close to my ear.

My eyes slowly fluttered opened, squinting when coming in contact with the light. The light was soon covered by a face, precisely Xing's, hovering over my own.

" _Finally_ ," he said dramatically.

Didn't this happen this morning?

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Where are we going?" I asked with a yawn.

Xing chuckled and jumped on top of me. "You sound so funny," he said.

I sat him on the bed beside me and then noticed him fully dressed in Jean capris and a red, button-down collared shirt. "You're not supposed to have shoes on your feet while in the bed," I softly chastised him.

He giggled sheepishly before sliding off the bed. "Daddy says that we are going to leave now and if you don't wake up, then you're going to get left. And I want you to come with us, remember?" he said, looking at me desperately.

I smiled and moved to the end of the bed, sitting down. Picking him up, I sat him in my lap. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that I wasn't going to go with you guys. Where are we going anyway?" I asked, playing oblivious to the surprise.

"I don't know…Daddy said that we are going to visit my Aunties, Fanren, Fuutie, Shiefa, and Feimei," he said, groaning out loud.

I giggled and ruffled his hair. "Why don't you sound happy about that?" I asked.

"It's not that I'm not happy, but they are so _annoising_ ," he said exasperatedly.

I raised an amused brow. "Oh?"

He giggled and snuggled into my chest. "I'm only playing! Daddy always says that," he said mischievously.

"Oh really?" I asked with a giggle.

"Yes, but I think that they are alright. They give me lots and lots of toys, candy, and even hugs and fish kisses!" he exclaimed.

"You like fish kisses?" I asked, smiling at his wide-eyes at that question.

"Of course, I do! Everyone does," he said, and then surprised me by grabbing my face, giving me a big, wet kiss on my lips with puckered lips.

"See? I give the best kisses in the world! That's what Meilin-chan tells me, at least," he said with a dazed smile.

"Meilin?" I asked, wondering who this was.

"Mhm. She's also very annoising to Daddy too," he said, giggling as if he were thinking about it.

He turned to me. "Can you give me a fish kiss?" he asked, almost begging me with those eyes.

I smiled before returning the favor.

"Come on, or Daddy will leave the both of us," I said, standing up with him in my arms.

When I attempted to sit him down, he wrapped his legs around my waist tightly. "No, no, no. I want you to carry me. Please, please, _please_ can you carry me?" he asked.

His father already thought that I was trying to steal his role, so there was no way that I could go through with that.

When staring in those pleading, puppy-dog, amber eyes, I couldn't resist them, so I only nodded and walked out of the room, but not forgetting to grab my bag. I sat Xing down in the living room when I noticed that Li wasn't there, but their bags were by the front door.

I glanced at the clock. "Where is Daddy?" I asked him.

"Um…" He rested his hand under his chin as if he were thinking about it. "He had to make an important phone call," he said.

"Oh, alright. We can sit here and—"

"Let's go," I heard Li's voice interrupt me.

Xing ran over to the man. "Daddy, I told Sakura all about my aunties so she won't feel shy around them," Xing said excitedly.

"Oh?" Li said, looking in my direction with a raised brow.

My cheeks warmed at the attention and I shrugged my shoulders. "Uh…yeah, they sound lovely and annoising?" I said questioningly.

Were we even alright now? Did he still hate me? Was he still upset with me?

He snorted. "Right," he said sarcastically.

Okay, so he wasn't. Maybe he realized his assumptions were crazy and that I wasn't trying to take his kid from him.

"Well, we should get going," Li said, grabbing the bags on the floor by the door.

"I can take that," I said, offering to carry my own bag.

He shook his head before motioning for me to watch Xing instead, which I did. I made sure to grab everything that I needed before we walked out the house together.

When everything was settled in the car, Li buckled Xing in and we left. The ride was quiet and uneventful, except for Xing talking about the things that we would do, as usual.

* * *

Awkward.

There was no other way to describe this moment between us. I didn't know if he felt it too, or if he was really occupied by that newspapers in his hand. We had been riding in his jet for the last 10 hours and Xing had long fallen asleep after the first hour, leaving me awake alone with this man. He hadn't spoken a direct word to me since his outburst this morning about me trying to act like Xing's mother.

I couldn't help but keep glancing in his direction, wondering what he was thinking with that concentrated facial expression.

It could have just been that he was extremely intrigued by the topic in the newspaper, or he really was in deep thought. It was hard to tell and I didn't even know why I wanted to know what the man was thinking.

"You do know that it's impolite to stare," he said suddenly.

I blushed furiously, looking away immediately. "S-sorry," I apologized quietly.

From the corner of my eye, I could see him placing the newspaper on the table beside his seat. "You said you're a senior, right?" he asked.

Hesitantly, I looked in his direction to see him staring at me with scrunched brows. "Yes, sir," I said.

"What do you want to do after graduation?"

I shrugged and a small smile formed on my lips as my eyes drifted down to the sleeping Xing between us. "Well, I love kids, so maybe open my own daycare one day," I said.

He didn't respond as usual. Instead, he turned away.

"Have you always wanted to have your own business?" I asked, hoping that we could continue to talk.

"Sure," he said shortly.

"What is it that you do?" I asked, glad that he was talking to me after giving me the cold shoulder all day.

"Offer unlimited growth potential through the sale of stocks," he explained shortly.

It sounded like the definition of the corporation, without any details of what they sold. A broad answer, but I could take it for now.

"Oh. I don't know much about businesses," I said truthfully.

"Plenty of people your age doesn't," he said with a shrug.

I smiled. "You're right. Maybe I could take a few courses in university," I said.

"What school do you attend?"

"Tokyo High."

"Oh," he said lamely.

I sighed, lifting my feet up on the uncomfortable seat. My bum was beginning to get a bit sore from sitting down for almost 11 hours. We still had five more to go. It was a wonder I hadn't fallen to sleep yet. I woke up at five this morning, thanks to Xing and his adorable begging.

"You know you can let your seat back and rest if you're tired," he said, as if he were reading my mind.

"I'm fine," I said softly.

He leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes. I was almost entranced with the way his long lashes rested against his cheeks. How could a man's lashes appear longer than mine? I was almost jealous.

He still had the concentrated expression on his face though and I wanted to know what could be bothering him. Something was clearly bothering the man.

"I can still feel you ogling," he said, eyes still closed.

Clearing my throat, I swallowed. "You look like you have a lot on your mind," I said after finding the courage.

"Yeah," he said.

Yeah, what?

"It's none of my business, but I can't help but wonder what you're thinking about," I said without thinking.

I wanted to clamp my hand over my mouth for talking so much like a little kid, but decided not to. It was already said and the only thing that I could do now was wait until he told me that it wasn't any of my business.

"Work."

I blinked once. Twice. And then two more times before I realized that he had really told me instead of telling me off for letting this uncontrollable tongue of mine take over.

A small smile crept to my lips and I let out a soft sigh. "What about work?" I asked, testing my luck with the man.

"How I will manage my time," he said.

Oh yeah...he did say that he would be a lot busier than normal after this mini vacation ended.

"Well, if there's anything that I could do, just let me know. I still owe you," I said softly.

"You've done enough," he said quietly.

I couldn't tell if he was being offensive or just telling me that I didn't have to do anything else to repay him.

"Well, the offer will still stand," I said, smiling at him, even though he wasn't looking my way.

His eyes fluttered opened and he turned to me, staring at me intensely, resulting in a stupid blush on my face.

"Are you always this nice, or is it only to people who give you money?" he asked, almost coldly.

That was harsh...

I couldn't get mad at him right now though.

"I don't know what you mean, Li-kun. I treat others the way I would like to be treated, so the money you gave me earlier has nothing to do with my behavior," I said.

He remained silent after that and his face began to relax a bit from the straining that his expressions were doing. He was sleeping.

Sighing, I decided to rest for a bit too, fully aware that I would probably barely get any sleep this weekend with these two.

* * *

I stared in awe at the beautiful condo that we were in. Well, it looked more like a luxurious house.

"And we're going to stay up all night and play!" I heard Xing saying.

That was his third time reminding me of that during our journey of exploring the place.

"Aren't we, Sakura?" he asked me.

"If you have the energy to, honey," I said, giggling at the scowl on his face at my statement.

"Of course I can! I slept the entire time we were flying, so I know I'll stay up, all night. And you must stay up with me," he said before turning to Li. "Will you stay up with us and play too, Daddy? It will be lots and lots of fun," Xing almost begged.

Li shrugged his shoulders, looking as though he were deep in thought. "Let's see..." he trailed off.

"Please, Daddy? I promise you will have a fun time," Xing pleaded.

I suppressed the giggle that tried to escape my mouth as Li kept the little boy in suspense. This was a side of him that I had never seen before.

"I'll have to think about it," Li decided on.

Xing groaned and dropped his forehead against the side of my thigh, disappointed. "Sakura, come here, come here," Xing almost whispered, pulling on my arm.

I looked down at him with a small smile playing at my lips before I stooped down to his height.

"Can you ask Daddy to stay up with us all night to play?" he attempted to whisper in my ear.

I threw my head back, laughing uncontrollably at the failed attempt. His head tilted slightly, face twisted in confusion at my outburst. Turning back to him, I whispered, "Okay."

I was sure Li heard me though because I purposely spoke in the volume of Xing's voice. Someone really needed to teach the boy how to whisper correctly.

I stood back up and turned to Li, ready to ask the 'big secret.'

"Wait!" Xing said, pulling on my arm again.

I stooped back down beside him. "Also, tell him that I love him," he terribly whispered.

I laughed and ruffled his hair, standing back up. "You can tell him that yourself," I said.

"Please?" He gave me the eyes.

I turned to Li and clasped my hands together dramatically. "Can you please stay up and play with us all night?" I asked in a playful, pleading whine.

It probably wouldn't work, but I gave him the eyes that Xing normally gave us when wanting to get his way.

Instead of giving me a normal response, he let out an awkward cough, turning away from me, while scratching the back of his head nervously.

Did I do something wrong again?

"Now Daddy, Sakura asked you a question. What are you supposed to do?" Xing asked in a fake, authorative tone. He looked at me with a gleam in his eyes before a small smirk crept to his lips.

I suppressed the giggle again, wondering how old this kid really was. There was no possible way that he was only four-years-old.

After Li didn't respond, Xing cleared his throat. "Daddy," Xing said in a playful, warning tone.

Li turned to him and narrowed his eyes. "Are you finished playing my role now?" he asked the little boy before hauling him off his feet, holding him, while tickling the little boy.

Xing laughed uncontrollably, squirming in his arms.

I couldn't stop the smile that crept to my lips at the sight before my own eyes. Why couldn't it always be like this? For Xing.

It was easy to see that Li did love him, obviously, so why would Xing ever believe otherwise?

When my eyes drifted over to Li's face, a stupid blush probably spread across my entire face seeing him laugh. The sound was so beautiful...

And I wasn't sure if it was because I found everything about this man attractive or the sound really was beautiful. An intimidating, strong-willed man letting down his walls for his child was probably one of the most attractive traits to me.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Xing yelled loudly between his laughter. "I'm...done...playing...Daddy!" he said laughing to the point where he could barely breathe before Li stopped.

"I can't promise that I will..." he trailed off. And then he did the thing that Xing hated the most. Ruffled his hair, forcing it to become more disheveled than it already was.

"Dad..." Xing groaned.

I smiled as Li placed him on his feet. I couldn't help but feel like I had been intruding in on their little moments. It was almost hard not to enjoy the sight though.

"Well, how does the beach sound for the two of you today?" Li asked.

Xing's eyes widened and he turned to me. "Did you hear him, Sakura?!" he screeched.

I smiled, nodding my head, heart beating against my chest hard. Glancing at them, I noticed that neither of them could hear it. How so though?

"Is that alright?" Li asked in a low tone over Xing's plans for the beach, while looking at me.

My entire face probably blushed and I nodded.

His eyes began to slowly drift down to my body, making me feel self-conscious about myself.

"Xing!" I exclaimed and then stooped down to his height to hide from Li's wandering eyes.

Xing turned to me with the same grin on his face. "What is it, Sakura?" he asked, titling his head to the side in that adorable manner he always did.

"Did you know that they have a park here, too?" I asked after remembering the playground I had spotted while pulling up here.

He gasped and grabbed my shoulders. "Really?!"

"Yeah. Maybe we could go there sometimes this weekend," I suggested.

I was overstepping my boundaries again, but almost positive that Li wouldn't have a problem with this.

Xing turned to his dad. "Could we really, Daddy?" Xing gave him the eyes.

I turned to Li, giving him the same eyes to add to the effects. His face lifted in amusement before he nodded.

"Yes!" Xing jumped in the air and then turning to me, giving me a big hug.

I laughed and hugged him back. The moment he pulled away from me, he was at it again, "We should put our swimming clothes on," he said excitedly.

"Actually, we should go and get something in that belly of yours," Li interjected.

"But I'm not hungry," he whined.

"Yes, you are," I said, giving him a pointed look. It was coming...

As if on cue, his stomach growled. He blushed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. The look resembled the same one that Li had earlier.

"But if we eat now, we won't be able to go to the ocean..." he said sadly.

"We will a little later. We are going to go to the beach, okay?" I said, holding out my pinky for him.

He hummed and then a wide grin spread across his face. "Deal!" he said happily, linking his pinky with mine.

I turned to Li, who had been watching the interaction between us. "Uh..." I swallowed awkwardly. "What place do you have in mind?"

"I want some shrimp!" Xing chimed in before Li could respond. He clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. "Sorry, Daddy," he apologized.

I smiled, ruffled his hair, and then turned back to Li.

"There's a great burger restaurant a few miles from here. They sell shrimp too, so how does that sound for you?" he asked me.

Smiling, I shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"It's settled then. After we finish eating, we can come back here, unpack our bags, wait a bit longer before heading to the beach," he said in a final tone.

"Okay!" we both chorused.

So, we left and headed to the restaurant Li mentioned in the rental car.

"Can I taste the burger too, please? I've never tasted it before," Xing begged me after we had gotten our food.

"Can he?" I asked Li.

He nodded his head, motioning for me to let him. I tore a piece of the burger off and gave it to him.

Taking a bite of it, his face twisted, deep in thought. I bet it was about whether the burger tasted good or not.

"It tastes..."

With a raised brow, I smiled. "Yes?"

"It's alright, I guess. The shrimp tastes better though," he said before picking a shrimp up and taking a bite out of it.

Since when did kids like shrimp? I couldn't remember liking that dish when I was little.

I giggled and took a bite out of my burger and turned to Li. "Has he always liked fancy dishes?" I asked playfully.

He shrugged and a small smile tugged at his lips, but it quickly vanished. "Yeah. Shrimp is the dish that Meixai ate the most during her pregnancy."

Meixai?

"Xing's mother," he said quietly, so Xing wouldn't hear it.

"Oh," I said awkwardly.

As annoying as it was not knowing where she was, I was beginning to lose the desire to. If she were to be around, maybe Li wouldn't need me around anymore for Xing. I didn't think I was ready for that yet. I had already grown an attachment to the little boy and didn't think I would be able to take it if he were snatched away from me suddenly.

"Have you tasted shrimp before, Sakura?" Xing asked.

"Yes, I have eaten it a few times," I said, smiling at him. Why could this silly grin never leave my face in his presence?

"I was just going to tell you that Daddy always takes the tail off the shrimp first, so if you want some, don't forget to take it off. Otherwise, you'll," he grasped his throat with his hand, making a gurgling sound as if he were being choked.

"Xing," Li called in a soft scolding tone.

Xing blushed and looked down at his plate. "Sorry...you get the point though, right?" he asked, looking at me.

I suppressed the giggle and nodded. "Yes, honey."

Xing looked at his dad apologetically. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to have inappropriation manners..." he said.

"Inappropriate," Li corrected him.

Xing grinned, happy that he wasn't in trouble. "Thank you, Daddy," he said politely.

I laughed at Li's expression. It was one of amusement, but confusion as well. The two meshed together looked silly.

His eyes averted over in my direction with a soft glare, shutting me up immediately. I didn't feel threatened, but I certainly didn't want to push my luck with him today. So far, we were having a good time, and I was beginning to realize that I enjoyed his presence more than I should have.

We ate the rest of our food, while having light conversation every now and then about anything Xing brought to the table.

* * *

Fiddling with the straps on the white, bikini bottom, I could feel my entire body begin to grow extremely self-conscious. I had been standing in front of this full-length mirror for the last three minutes, trying to figure out what it was that made me look weird until it finally struck me like lightning.

Skinny.

I looked disgustingly skinny. There wasn't a single trait about my body that appeared appealing, which only made me cringe at my scrawny arms and legs. My breasts weren't big, a B-cup at most, hips too slim, nothing to grasp. And let's not mention my rear end...

I knew it was normal for girls to want to be skinny, but it was different for me. I never necessarily liked the skinny image. What was so attractive about it anyway?

I sighed, ignoring that stupid question, knowing there wasn't an answer to it. I readjusted the tie on the bikini top before walking over to the bed and slipped on one of Touya's white T-shirts on, falling at the middle of my thighs. Slipping the sandals on and grabbing the towel, I walked out of my room, into the living where Xing and Li were waiting for me.

"Finally, slow-poke," Xing said, grinning at me.

I giggled and stuck my tongue out at him playfully. "I'm sorry to have kept you boys waiting," I said, giving Xing a pointed look.

He placed his hand under his chin, contemplating. "Let us think..." he said and then turned to Li. "Should we forgive her, Daddy?"

My eyes shifted over to the man's, but immediately looked away, cheeks burning after noticing him staring at me intensely.

"Daddy?" Xing called.

I could feel my entire body flush at the unwanted attention on me. Why was he staring so much? Wasn't it obvious I was already self-conscious since I had them waiting?

I didn't even feel self-conscious while packing this bikini, but suddenly became conscious of it when being notified about going to the beach with the man. Why did it matter what he thought about my body anyway?

It didn't.

Attempting to ignore the heated gaze on me, I looked down at Xing and forced a laugh. "Of course you forgive me, Xing," I said.

"Only if Daddy does," Xing said a bit stubbornly, but with a playful tone.

At times like this, I wish he wasn't so playful.

"Daddy?" Xing pulled on Li's swimming trunks gently.

Li cleared his throat and shrugged. "Sure. Let's go," he said, while quickly picking up the bag and walking out the house before we could respond.

Xing turned to me and giggled mischievously. "Daddy is very silly, isn't he?"

I laughed awkwardly and grabbed his hand, leading us out the condo. "Very silly."

* * *

 **Sorry for the late update. I wish I could have gotten this chapter out sooner, but I'm just now finished writing it in the AMs, as usual lol. It was going to be longer, but I decided to split the vacation up in two parts so that the chapters wouldn't be so long. Maybe two chapters from now, school's going to start for Sakura(and Syaoran), so the summary is finally going to come in to play.**

 **As usual, thank you guys for the reviews from last chapter. They are what keeps this story going, really! This week is going to be busy, but no major test in any classes, so I should be able to update more than once.**

 **Anyway, next chapter is going to be in Syaoran's point of view. Don't forget to leave a review!**

 **Ja ne!**


	12. Change of Plans Part 2

**"Change of Plans Part 2"**

* * *

Pure.

She looked so...untainted and clean and...

It was as though purity radiated off her, and that forced me to feel so attracted to her. It sounded terrible to even _think_ that my desire to taint her was this strong, but I couldn't help it.

After some thought and considerations...that was the only logical reasoning that I could come up with...

It certainly wasn't her personality, or her voice. She was always overly energetic...happy...

She made life seem like the happiest thing in the world, when really, it never has been. Not in my world, at least.

I still didn't even know if she was innocent as she portrayed herself to be, but she sure as hell was playing the role perfect.

My eyes drifted over to her and Xing playing in the water, splashing the other while laughing.

I couldn't seem to take my eyes off her body the moment I mentioned the beach to the two, especially when she removed that T-shirt that had been teasing me with the little skin that it allowed me to see.

It was like my eyes had a mind of their own nowadays because they somehow landed on her wet skin because of Xing's splashing now.

Water on skin had never looked so delicious until now. It was kind of scaring the hell out of me because of who it was. _I_ was scaring me.

I didn't even know why I was letting my mind think these inappropriate thoughts about the girl, but it was hard. Seeing the way her breasts bounced slightly when she would make a jerky movement, the water trickling down her soft, creamy skin, ass looking so...

I closed my eyes, looking away from the sight. There was no way that I could care about morals...and anything else that mattered. After all, I was still a man.

I was only going to let the thoughts get so far today since she was tempting me with her innocent, yet alluring movements. A little slack could be cut for me, for once in my life, with this.

Was she even aware of what she was doing to me?

I sighed, forcing my eyes shut tightly to block out the view of the beautiful girl. Almost instantly, they fluttered open again after coming to some crazy conclusion.

Only for today; for this moment that looking at her like a man looked at a woman would be okay...

 _Only today..._

Then I was reminded; yesterday too.

I had been drunk, but I knew to a certain extent what I was doing. It was just so easy to not give a damn about her age.

Whenever drunk and my body constantly reminding me what it really wanted, it was easy to let her age slip past my mind.

I shouldn't have been drinking at all, matter of fact. It was stupid, but my intentions weren't to get drunk. After the long, stressful day at work, I just wanted a drink for a slight buzz. But one drink turned into two, then two to three, and onward.

It was stupid, irresponsible...but when I had gotten to thinking about the girl and my attraction to her, I was already half way gone. And then she showed up...in that tank top that showed too much skin, yet so little, with those shorts...

The damn shorts that displayed those long, slender legs that I had been imagining wrapped around me lately.

I shuttered, thinking—almost _feeling_ the way they would feel around me. I mentally shook my head, ridding of the thoughts.

Yesterday and today would be the only days that I could think about her in a way that I shouldn't have been.

I was drunk yesterday, and now she was practically naked in front of my eyes, so it was all excusable.

 _As long as no one finds out about the thoughts..._

I cringed, realizing how terrible and wrong that sounded.

 ** _So_** wrong.

It was the truth though.

I pushed my sunglasses down over my eyes to block some of my view of her naked, wet skin before I lay back on the blanket.

It wasn't as hot as I expected it to be. I had almost forgotten how the weather was here. One minute it was scorching hot, and then the next, extremely cloudy and windy, while the next pouring down raining. Right now, it was cloudy and windy, but I wouldn't be surprised if the sun came out right now.

"Daddy!" I heard Xing calling me.

Sighing, I sat up on the blanket, turning in the direction of the voice, but my view only being trapped on Kinomoto's slim legs running over to me with him.

I needed to look away before my body would start reacting. There was no possible way to hide a sporting erection out here. Looking at Xing instead, I was in the safe zone.

"Yes?" I asked when he came in front of me, dropping to his knees.

"Can you come and play in the water with us now?" Xing asked, pleadingly.

I really didn't feel like getting wet, but...

Glancing in Kinomoto's direction briefly, I nodded.

"Yes!" he said, jumping up in joy.

That reaction filled warmth in my chest, glad that I did something right by him.

It wasn't hard to please him, but I already knew what he wanted from me. It was just so hard to give it to him.

Instead, I would replace the one thing he wanted with toys, gifts, or anything else that he wanted physically. It seemed to work out fine most of the time, but I was beginning to think that it would stop sooner or later. As long as it was okay for now, then everything was fine.

It was terrible, almost as terrible as I treated him last night when I got home, but I couldn't help it right now.

I had not even meant to be that cruel to him last night, but I didn't know how to face him after knowing that I would have had to tell him that we couldn't go to the theme park.

It sounded childish now, considering my change of plans, but at the moment, it wasn't. Everything didn't make sense for once in my life.

I was snatched out of my thoughts when he grabbed on my hand, attempting to help me up. I stood up and then reached behind me to pull my shirt off. Throwing it on the towel, I turned around ready to head to the water, but froze when noticing the girl ogling at my naked flesh.

She was so damn obvious with her staring that it was ridiculous. Her ogling did give me the urge to flex my muscles, but I decided against it.

Maybe my morning workouts did come into use for appearance for once.

When my eyes locked with hers, she looked away. I didn't even know why she bothered to look away when being caught because it was already too late. It was so adorable though. Especially when that familiar blush would taint her cheeks.

That blush may have served from her innocence, but it sure as hell made her look enticing.

My eyes began to suck in her appearance again on their own. The first place they landed on was the swell of her breast that still had droplets of water on them.

 _Damn it..._

Her breasts weren't as small as I thought they were, but it was still up for debate that it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my own hunger. Maybe if I got a glimpse of her—NO! I will not become greedy for more than what her bathing suit offered to let me see.

Slowly, my eyes travelled down to her toned stomach after sucking in the curves. I stopped them from looking any further down.

I could already feel a stirring in my loins, which was never a good thing. Sporting an erection and Xing asking me about it? Never.

There was no way I could afford explaining to Xing what **_that_** is.

Shuddering, I mentally shook my head, hoping to get rid of the disturbing conversation that was playing out in my head.

When feeling a pull on my arm by a little hand, I was brought back to reality.

"Come on, Daddy. We have to go or it will start to...rain? And you said that you can't play in the water if there's rain, right?" Xing asked me.

I heard Kinomoto giggle, but I kept my eyes locked on Xing so I couldn't cause any inappropriate thoughts to play in my head.

"Right, come on." I grabbed his hand, pulling Xing along with me towards the water.

From there, we played in the water, made terrible sand castles, and even resorted to the old game, Frisbee. Kinomoto was now burying Xing under the sand, at his request, of course.

"And when I'm all the way covered, I have to break out like a monster and scare you guys!" Xing concluded.

Kinomoto giggled while patting the sand on his chest. "You have to be still," she told him softly.

"Okay, okay! I'm trying," he said a bit more excited than normal. The more he talked, the more the sand cracked against his body.

"You're trying," she said in a tone that said she believed otherwise.

He giggled and closed his eyes, going completely still for her to continue, which nearly shocked me.

Why did he trust her so easily? It was a bit suspicious how at ease he felt around her, letting his guard down in her presence, which he never did.

I had raised him to be cautious around strangers, which he was before, until she recently showed up in our lives. She was no stranger anymore to him maybe, but he still never treated her like one, even during their time when I first met her.

Xing burst out laughing, cracking the rest of the sand on his body as Kinomoto tickled his nose with a leaf.

A small smile crept to my lips as I sat on the ground beside them, silently watching their interactions together.

She was really great with him. I had never met anyone who Xing got along with so well, not even his mom.

Everything about him was at ease and he felt completely comfortable around someone other than family, which was a rare sight to see.

I couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing. The rational side of me was saying bad, but the irrational was saying good. I never went with the latter though.

I couldn't see my son getting hurt again before my own eyes, even though I was the cause of it sometimes.

It was something different about someone else hurting him though. It always triggered the monster in me when it happened. Even when Meixai would attempt to physically discipline him, I couldn't take the sight. I had to forbid her from doing so, which resulted in a nasty fight between us.

I shuddered involuntarily at the memory of all the harsh insults and yelling that resulted from her actions.

"You're thinking hard again," I heard Kinomoto say, snapping me out of the disturbing thoughts.

"Yeah," I replied shortly.

What else was I supposed to say? It was none of her business what occupied my mind.

Besides, she probably wouldn't be too pleased with everything that went on in my mind...

My eyes landed on her body again, imagining all the dirty things I wanted to do to it.

"Do I have the same thinking face as Daddy's?" Xing asked, furrowing his brows together while creating wrinkles on his forehead. He squint his eyes ridiculously small and scrunched his nose with slightly pursed lips.

Perhaps he was attempting to mimic my face, which definitely was inaccurate. He just looked ridiculous right now.

She threw her head back, laughing loudly, offering us both that musical sound. "Most definitely. You two almost look identical," she said, and then surprised me when she sent a playful wink in my direction.

I could feel my cheeks heat up a bit, but mentally slapped myself for acting that way. I wasn't in middle school anymore, and I certainly didn't act like a normal middle school boy when I was, so why start now?

"I do not," I said, almost defensively.

"You do, you do! It's a very silly face," Xing said before he burst out laughing with Kinomoto.

My lips really did purse this time, only a little, annoyed with the two from the teasing, but amused all at once. And then I realized something.

I was having fun.

When was the last time that I even had fun? Wait, did I ever really have any fun?

Today was the first time that I had ever really had any fun in my entire life.

I never knew that "jumping" waves, building sand castles, playing Frisbee, and burying people in the sand could be fun out of all the 22 years of my life.

Maybe Mei was right when she said I was uptight.

"Daddy?" Xing called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him with a raised brow.

"Do you want to help me bury Sakura-chan?"

She gasped, clearly feigning shock. "When did we decide that I want to get buried?" she asked in a playful, edgy tone.

She was so...youthful. There was so much life in her that I almost felt a tad bit envious...

"When..." Xing looked at her sheepishly with a blush. "Can we bury you?"

She giggled and started to dig the heel of her bare feet into the ground, creating her a spot to lay in. "Only if you guys promise not to smother me," she said.

This wasn't a good idea...

I knew that it wasn't the moment my eyes began to look at her naked skin, imagining the mess that would be made on her creamy skin, almost making me think of...

 _Danger Zone, Syaoran! Look away, now!_

I did as my conscious told me, not wanting to face the consequences of my own stupidity.

Once she settled into a small hole in the ground, she nodded for us to begin, which Xing gladly did. I, on the other hand, was stuck, contemplating whether I should do this or not. It was out of character for me to do stuff like this, so why would I start now?

"Come on, daddy. I can't bury her by myself or it will take all day," he said dramatically as he patted the sand on her stomach that my eyes couldn't seem to leave.

I was trying not to look in other places, so her stomach was the safest place to look, but even that alone was having an effect on me...

" _Daddyy_ ," Xing whined.

I sighed, giving in when I heard Kinomoto giggle. I picked up a large amount of sand in my hand and then slowly dropped it on to her skin, almost entranced at the way some of it slid off her smooth stomach.

"Sakura can become the monster now," Xing said.

She froze under the sand, eyes shooting open. The mirth was gone, replaced with...sadness?

"Right, Sakura? You can be the monster now," Xing repeated after she never responded.

Sensing her discomfort, I cleared my throat, grabbing Xing's attention. "What would you like to do after this?"

He hummed, looking deep in thought about the question. I took the opportunity to let my eyes drift over to Kinomoto's face. She still lay stiff under the sand, but her eyes began to sparkle a little, button nose turning red. That look only meant one thing.

She was going to cry.

My heart felt compressed at the sight and my eyes scanned around, hoping to find something—anything—to stop what was about to happen. It was always like this with her. I always felt obligated to comfort her.

Without thinking, I poked her in the side, receiving a flinch and giggle from her.

Where had the instinct even from? I had not a single clue, but felt relieved that it had worked. The tears vanished in her eyes, replaced with mirth again as she stared at me, looking a little shocked by the act.

I couldn't explain it to myself, so how would I explain it to her?

"Aww, you ruined our work," Xing whined.

I looked down at her toned stomach to see that some of the sand had slid down to the side.

"I'm sorry. I will be still, but you guys have to hurry up," she said, closing her eyes.

We continued to bury her under the sand, but her facial muscles still looked a bit constricted, while forced into a fake smile.

I couldn't tell if that look sickened me, or made me feel relieved that she was no longer about to cry. Either way, we buried her, and I was sure to avoid burying any areas on her upper body, afraid that my dirty mind would muster up something to cause my body to react.

After we finished playing in the sand, we went back to the water to play for a while, before I decided that we had had enough of the beach.

We rinsed off and headed back to the condo to really get cleaned up for dinner.

Thankfully, as time passed, Kinomoto's mood had brightened, and she was back to her normal, overly-energetic self. I still wanted to know what caused her to feel so uneasy though.

It was stupid to care at all. I had never been curious to find out what bothered people because it wasn't any of my business. With her, it was...different. I wanted to know so I could prevent the feeling from arising again within her.

"Daddy, you're thinking very _very_ hard again," Xing said, snapping me out of my reverie.

Looking down at him, a small smile tugged at my lips and I ruffled his hair, receiving the infamous Xing pout as usual. "It's nothing that you need to worry about. What do you want for dinner?" I asked.

"Umm..." he hummed, deep in thought, giving me time to recollect my thoughts.

I needed to calm down before I really did do something that I certainly didn't want to happen.

"Can I have ice cream for dinner?"

"I think you already know the answer to that."

I looked up at that voice, already so familiar with it. It was hard to tell if that bothered me. It always caused a weird stirring in me though, which did disturb me.

"She's right. You're eating real food," I said, giving him a pointed look.

He pouted and murmured something under his breath that I couldn't catch.

I would have to get on to him about that later, but I didn't want to ruin his day.

"We should go," I said after noticing the sky grow dark.

"Okay!" They chorused with huge grins on their faces.

I could feel a small smile trying to tug at my lips at the sight.

What the hell was wrong with me?

* * *

I laid a sleeping Xing into the bed, gently prying his grip from my shirt.

It was no surprise that the boy had fallen out the moment I strapped him in the back seat after we finished eating dinner.

Though he had expressed his excitement to get home to stay up all night, I already knew all along that he would K.O the moment we got home. Throughout dinner, he had been yawning the entire time because he was "bored," but I knew.

Quietly, I closed the door behind me after making sure that Xing was sound asleep. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't exhausted from the day's events either, but sleep wasn't overtaking me yet for some reason.

I started to walk to my room until I heard the TV faintly in the living room playing, which only meant one thing.

Sleep still hadn't overtaken her either.

Before I could stop my body, I was already walking in the direction of the sound of the TV; in the living room.

She didn't even look in my direction when I walked in, looking deep in thought at the TV.

Sitting down beside her, eyes focusing on the TV to see what was so entrancing about it, I realized she wasn't watching it because it was only a commercial. I turned to her, a bit stunned that she had not even flinched or glanced in my direction once. Confused by the emotions coursing through my body at that, I cleared my throat to snag her attention.

It didn't work.

I tried again, only to receive no response. I would be lying if I said that it didn't tick me off a bit, but I would cut her a little slack today. She looked a bit emotionally drained.

"Kinomoto," I called.

Her head snapped towards me, cheeks instantly flushing. "Li-san," she said, shyly.

My eyes landed on her lips instantly, causing another stir in my loins.

 _Great, the pervert in me just had to come alive._

It was her fault though. There was no way in hell that she didn't know what those flustered looks did to my body; what those plump lips caused me to desire so much...the slender curve of her shoulder and neck, did to me...

It was weird how I could almost taste her by just the sight of her skin.

Sweet, untainted, pure—

"Today was great," she said, interrupting my thoughts before they could get too far.

"Yeah."

"Xing enjoyed himself, a lot," she said as a smile formed on her lips, awakening my arousal.

Maybe it was the lips. My eyes couldn't stop landing there, so maybe I needed to do something about them.

But what?

"Yeah," I said, barely focusing on the conversation.

What did I need to do to stop those lips from tempting me...?

Tempting me to what though?

"Tomorrow, he's going to lose his wits," she said, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Kiss her. Of course that's what it was. I wanted to kiss her, touch her...fuck her.

A man always knows what he wants, so there was no point pretending I didn't know anymore.

Her age though...

Her age was fucking this all up for me. She was 17— _17_ , for crying out loud. But I couldn't help it...

A man can never help what he wanted, so why would there be any exceptions for me?

"Li-san?"

My eyes broke away from her lips, locking with hers.

"I asked you a question."

"Okay," I said simply.

"Are you not going to answer?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"Eight in the morning," I said.

"Eight?"

I nodded, eyes drifting back down to her lips. She yawned, covering her mouth politely.

I swallowed. "Yes"

She smiled and lay back on the couch. "That's very early."

"The earlier we're out, the earlier we'll get back in because he's tired."

She nodded. "That makes sense."

"I'm hoping it goes that way," I said.

She yawned again, sitting up on the couch, turning to me. "Thank you," she said, quietly.

"What's...there's something bothering you. What is it?" I asked, almost hesitantly.

She shook her head, but quickly spoke, "It's nothing..." she said, leaving an awkward trail behind those words.

I gave her a look that said, 'I don't believe you.'

"You've been off all day," I said. "Since the beach."

"I was reminded of something I didn't want to think about," she said, softly.

"What?"

"It's nothing..."

"Kinomoto."

She sighed, taking the hint of my tone. "Onii-chan called me 'kaijuu' all the time. I was a little caught off guard when Xing mentioned something along the lines today..." She looked down at her lap with a blank expression. "And now, it's after dark. Everything gets harder at night because you..." Her fingers gripped the ends of her T-shirt. "You have time to think—no distractions, and it's...it's hard at night sometimes when sleep doesn't overtake you immediately. It still doesn't even feel like..."

She stopped, bangs covering her face from me.

My eyes softened, heart tightening at the fact that I couldn't do anything to prevent this feeling for her.

"He's not dead—no, he can't be, I mean. It always feels like he's at work all day, working hard to keep food on the table, a roof over my head..." She released a breathless choke. "But…the more I talk about him, the more it feels true. I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

"No," I interjected immediately. "You're not," I added, gently.

She lifted her head, sparkling emerald eyes locking with mine as she smiled sadly. "Arigatou, Li-san."

"I..." I stopped, changing my mind about thanking her.

I wanted to let her know that I enjoyed doing something other than work today for the first time, but decided against it. She didn't need to know that.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh..." she said as there was disappointment evident in her tone.

A comfortable silence followed after that, giving me time to recollect my earlier thoughts.

Maybe I was tired when I thought about kissing her...touching her... _fucking_ her.

My manhood sprung to life, proving me wrong at that thought. I looked down at her bare thighs, feeling my lids grow heavy.

They looked so smooth...soft and I couldn't help but wonder how they would feel against my tongue while I licked them teasingly. What noises would come from those succulent lips?

My eyes landed on them again, regret washing over me. Why didn't I just take them between my own last night when I had the opportunity? She was so willing; submissively succumbing to my desires. If I was mistaken—which I wasn't—I'd say that she wanted me to, as much.

Maybe she felt this...pull that seemed to be between us, or was it all in my head?

There was no possible way that it was.

The pull between us could probably be felt by anyone who came around. I wouldn't be surprised if Xing could feel it, so she had to know. But, why? What was it? We were the complete opposites of each other.

She was...light, while I, dark. She was energetic, lively, while I was boring, dull, and calm.

All those things made her existence annoying to me...so why did I feel so drawn to her?

She cleared her throat, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I'm going to go and get some sleep," she said.

My eyes drifted up to her eyes, away from those lips. I couldn't do it tonight.

There was no alcohol running through my body, giving me an excuse to do something inappropriate. There was nothing that would give me reason to pretend that I didn't know what happened in the morning.

Gods...why was I making myself sound like a bad guy? Sure, pretending that I couldn't remember last night's events was bad enough, but to try and plan to do it again?

I shuddered, receiving unpleasant chills on my body at the thought of sounding like a creep.

"Okay," I said.

She stood from the couch, getting ready to walk away.

Before I could put a stop to myself, impulsively, I grabbed her wrist. "On second thought, let's watch movies," I said, quietly. "It's night. No distractions to stop the thoughts, right?"

She stared at me astonished before a smile formed on her lips as she nodded.

Picking the remote control up, I waved it in the air, motioning that we could watch something together.

She sat back down on the couch beside me, a little closer this time.

It was hard to decide if that made me uneasy, or thrilled. I was beginning to lean more towards the latter though.

"You're very kind, Li-san," she said, quietly.

I grimaced at the compliment, turning my attention to the TV. I flipped through the channels, hoping that a movie was on the television to avoid having any conversation with her.

"When I first met you, I didn't peg you as the type to have a single bone in your body to display any type of affection. But seeing you with Xing..."

When she trailed off, I looked in her direction to see her face looking flustered from the lighting of the TV.

"It's entrancing, fascinating even. It amazes me how such an intimidating man can—w-what is it? Is it my rambling? Do you disapprove of this?"

I could feel a small smile trying to tug at my lips at her adorable habit. The rambling problem always got me, unless she interrupted me.

I never liked to be interrupted.

I shook my head, curious to hear more of what she had been thinking about me.

"You scare me sometimes..."

I looked at her confused. "Why is that?" I found myself asking without thinking. I had been doing that lately.

"You're always glaring at me...and with all due respect, you're very rude. You're very intimidating, so I feel very threatened by you," she said, quietly.

I stared in her eyes, seeing the honesty in them. "There's nothing to fear. I can assure you that you will be taken care of. Anything that you need, just ask me."

"I've already taken enough..." she said, a hint of despair in her tone.

"You haven't," I insisted.

She remained silent, staring at the program on the TV. I didn't scold her this time for ignoring me. She had just voiced her fears of me, and I couldn't afford to cause them to rise.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," I found myself saying, almost reassuringly.

It was always nice to know that I had this powerful hold on people. It still was, but I didn't want her to feel threatened by me.

My intentions have never been to harm her, so she didn't need to think that way.

"Okay, Li-san," her soft-spoken voice said after a few moments passed between us.

I kept my eyes on the TV after that, deep in thought while a comfortable silence passed between us. The only thing that could be heard was the boring movie that was playing on the TV.

I don't think either of us paid attention to it though.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see her lifting her legs on the couch, curling up into the corner.

I had the sudden urge to pull her over to my side, and wrap my arms around her tightly, while whispering in her ear that she didn't have anything to worry about.

My stomach churned at the thought, feeling my entire body become rigid as my wall of defense built back up.

That act was far from Li Syaoran. Why would I even think that?

"Xing doesn't know that you're going to be a lot busier in the upcoming weeks, does he?" she asked, almost quietly.

Turning to her, I shook my head, slowly. "He wouldn't understand."

"Explain to him...he thinks that you hate him," she said, sadly.

"I know," was the only thing I could say.

I did know, because he had told me countless of times that he hated me.

I knew he didn't really hate me, but it was still heartbreaking to hear your son say those three words that would kill anyone.

"You do?"

I laughed humorlessly. "He has no filter. He's mentioned it a time or two."

She gasped as her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, Li-kun!" she apologized, sympathetically.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He probably won't remember anything before the age of five when he gets older."

"Still…it will be engraved in your memory for the rest of your life..." she said. I could hear the tears in her voice.

Sighing, I turned to her, annoyed, but worried all the same at her concern for me. "Stop," I said in a warning tone. "I don't need you or anyone to pity me for my own doing."

Her brows furrowed, as she shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you think that."

"I decided to have him, so I'm only paying for the consequences."

"Did you not want to have him?" she asked, a bit of worry in her tone.

Of course I didn't at the time, but that surely didn't affect how much I love him now.

"I do now," I said.

Why did I feel the need to tell her anything?

"But, before?"

I turned away from her, attention back on the TV. I couldn't stop this feeling of wanting to...impress her. Telling her that I didn't want to have him before felt wrong, heartless too, and she couldn't think of me that way.

"I was 20 at the time when we..." I sighed. "That _I_ decided to have him."

"That's very young. Didn't you go to college?"

"Of course. How else do you think that I own so many businesses?"

"Well, I heard that—" She stopped, mid-sentence. "I guess you're right..."

"You didn't have many friends, did you?" she asked, almost sadly.

"Why does that matter?" I asked.

"I-I don't know. It's always nice to have friends, I suppose..." She looked down at her hands, before a small smile formed on her lips. "I have Tomoyo, Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu."

"Where are they now? You haven't heard from them since all this?" I asked, voice rising a bit.

She frowned, shaking her head. "It's not like that. They don't know about onii-chan...Besides Tomoyo. But she's out of town. I wouldn't be surprised if she already has a search team out for me right now..." She sighed with a sad smile. "It's not their faults though. I'll see them when school starts."

"Right," I said under my breath.

My stomach churned at the mention of school. That was certainly not something I wanted to think about.

"Do you have friends?"

I turned to her, looking a bit skeptical at the odd question.

"I mean, I'm sure you do, because you've had to have come across a lot of people in your life who you connect with, but—" She closed her lips shut, embarrassed by her rambling.

Ah, the adorable rambling again.

I smiled a little, shaking my head. "I have a few acquaintances."

"Acquaintances?"

"Yeah, I know very few people that I enjoy company," I said.

"I see. Maybe it's because everything's about business at your job," she said, smiling.

"Something like that."

"So, is everything only about your job?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

She frowned.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You're always short...and brief with me. Why is that?"

"There isn't much to say."

"But there is."

I raised a brow, amused by her sudden confidence to speak so freely. "Like?"

"I asked, 'is everything only about your job,' and you said, 'sure.' What you could have said was, 'no, I have a son too,'" she said with a smile.

I almost chuckled at her impersonation of my voice. "Aside from him."

She gave me a mischievous look. "And that's what you should've said."

"Same difference."

She giggled, shaking her head. "Your responses are becoming predictable, Li-san."

"And your personality isn't?" I remarked, surprising myself.

She smiled at me. "I don't know if I should take offense to that."

"Take it as you may."

"Well, your personality is becoming quite predictable too," she said, in a playful tone.

"How so?"

"Well, I hope you don't take offense to this, but you're quite distant, blunt, and a little rude."

I blinked once, then twice, being sure that I wasn't in a dream at her forward answer.

"Excuse me?"

She recoiled to herself, looking guilty and apologetic at once. "I'm sorry. I just talk so much sometimes and can't hold my tongue. I didn't mean to really offend you," she said, guilt evident in her voice.

I shook my head, lifting a hand to silence her rambling. "No, it's fine. You're not the first to say that."

She gasped. "Really?"

I released an unusual snort. "Have you not read the articles written about me? Or even seen the news?"

Her brows furrowed as she shook her head slowly.

This girl really didn't know about me before we met.

I almost smiled, feeling a bit relieved that she hadn't. There were so many things out there that people had said and accused me of. It was kind of refreshing.

"Wow. That's a first," I said.

"Really? I haven't lived in Tokyo for very long, so I thought that's what it was. But Kenta-kun informed me that you guys aren't originally from here."

I nodded my head, turning away from her. She didn't need to know any more than that.

An uncomfortable silence followed after that, and I took that as my cue to call it a night.

I glanced at the clock to see it a little past 12.

Had we really been talking that long?

"I'm going to call it a night," I said, standing from the couch.

She stood from the couch quickly, turning to me. "O-okay."

I swallowed, staring down at her, wishing the tension would disappear on its own, but there was no such thing.

"Night," I said, quickly leaving the living room before I did something stupid.

The minute I reached my room, I closed the door, locking it, and rushed to the bathroom.

It was pretty obvious how my night would end...

* * *

"Please, please, please! Ride it with us, Daddy," Xing begged me, pointing to the hotel in front of us.

"You'll have Kinomoto there," I said, looking at her, hoping for a little help.

"But she will get scared too, so she has to hold on to you. That's the only way she will ride it," he said, giving me the damn eyes.

I looked at her and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm just as scared as he would be—"

"But we have to ride, everything. Please, Daddy?" he said, eyes watering a bit.

I let out a defeated sigh, nodding my head.

He jumped up with a wide grin on his face. "Yes!" he exclaimed, grabbing Kinomoto's hand, along with mine. He pulled us towards the entrance of the fast pass line.

We stood in line for less than 20 minutes, but thanks to Xing, we were well entertained. Once settled and buckled in the ride, I listened to everyone talking in their own native languages, Sakura and Xing talking about seeing ghost, or something.

Xing sat by Kinomoto, and she sat by me.

"Are you scared, Daddy?" Xing asked, across from Kinomoto.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I don't even know what I'm getting myself into right now."

"It's called the, 'Tower of Terror,'" Xing said in a failed attempt to make his voice sound scary.

Kinomoto giggled, turning to me. "I don't know. I think it takes you up, drops you down, up, down. That's what we saw in the line, right Xing?" she asked him.

Xing nodded vigorously with a grin on his face.

I smiled, and the ride began by an intercom telling us some lame ass creepy story.

Kinomoto and Xing were talking in hushed tones to each other. I couldn't catch what they were talking about, but I didn't really care much to.

Today was going great. I hadn't thought about work all day, besides the one phone call that I had gotten from my secretary, informing me about a meeting that I needed to attend when I got back. Other than that, nothing else occupied my mind all day, besides these two sitting next to me.

We had gone to animal kingdom, epcot, and now Hollywood studios. It was a wonder the little boy hadn't asked to leave yet because he was tired. It was 6'o clock, and we had been here since nine this morning.

How the hell was Xing not tired yet?

My heart nearly dropped to the bottom of my stomach, shocked that I was being dropped. And then I remembered.

We were on some ride called tower of terror.

We were brought up again, and then dropped, but I was more prepared this time. Everyone else around me, however, wasn't, including Kinomoto. She had grabbed a hold of my arm, almost ripping my skin with her nails.

The ride went on for a few more seconds before it ended. I couldn't be happier about it either.

"That was so much fun! Look at the pictures, Daddy!" Xing yelled, running off.

"Xing! I thought I told you not to run off from either of us today," I scolded, rushing to his side.

"But look at your face, Daddy! And Sakura's!" Xing said, and then burst out laughing.

I looked at the screen, and almost tore it down when I saw the horrified expression on my face.

They had to have taken it when I was surprised by the first drop.

I looked at Kinomoto's face on the screen and almost burst out laughing at her horrified expression. She looked worse than me.

Looking at Xing, he had a similar expression on his face as she did.

"Do you see the scary look on my face too, Daddy? Sakura?"

She giggled. "It looks very funny," she said between giggles.

I almost rolled my eyes, taking the hint that she was referring to my face.

"I was caught off guard," I said defensively.

"Oh, I'm sure you were," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

I could feel a small smile tug at my lips, and I looked away.

Since last night, we had been conversing with each other a lot. No trace of awkwardness, professionalism, or anything along the lines.

It almost seemed like we were becoming friends within the span of 24 hours.

I kind of liked it...

"I'm hungry, and it's hot...can we get ice cream?" Xing asked.

"You just had something to eat before we got on this ride," I said.

"But I didn't eat any dessert..." he said, disappointed.

"You had cotton candy."

"But Daddy—"

"I'm not having this conversation with you anymore, Xing," I said sternly.

I hated using this tone on him, but sometimes, it was necessary. If I always gave in to him, he would be spoiled rotten, if he already wasn't.

He huffed, turning to Kinomoto, hugging her bare legs tightly. "This is why I..." he trailed off.

My eyes narrowed at him, fully aware of his behavior to make me jealous as his eyes shifted towards me to see my reaction.

It wasn't going to work this time though.

She giggled, peeling his arms from her bare legs.

Damn it, why did I have to keep reminding myself that she had on shorts?

"To magic kingdom?" she asked.

"No, I want to go home because I can't get ice cream," he said stubbornly, glancing at me a few times.

"Xing," I called.

He sighed, dropping his head onto her thigh. "Please, Daddy?" he whispered, desperately as tears welled in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey," she said, stooping down to his height. "What happened to making Daddy happy?" she whispered so only he could hear. I heard her though.

The pout left his face, and a smile formed on his lips as he wiped his face. He turned to me.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," he said, sheepishly. "Do you forgive me?"

"Yes," I said, feeling my cheeks warm at Kinomoto's attention on me, almost expecting me to say it.

Why the hell was she so good at this?

"To magic kingdom we go!" Xing cheered.

And then, we left Hollywood studios, heading straight for magic kingdom.

My plan had failed. I didn't think that the little boy would have the energy to be out all day, but he did. He wasn't even the least bit tired yet.

I was sitting on a nearby bench as he and Kinomoto rode the magic carpet. It was their third time riding it now, all because of Xing's begging.

She really did give in to everything he asked her to do. It was becoming a habit that I needed to butt on the head before it was too late.

After they finished riding the magic carpet, they rode another ride that involved Winnie the pooh? I think that's what it's called.

We were now waiting for the fireworks performance where the castle was. It would be starting in 10 minutes, at eight o'clock.

Kinomoto and Xing were talking their lungs out the entire time to me, and honestly, I didn't know a damn thing they were talking about at this point.

I remembered the conversation starting with Xing's all-time favorite show, then to the Disney characters, and...his mom?

"Yes! She used to do that all the time, didn't she, Daddy?" Xing asked me, over the noise of all the foreign languages to us.

"Do what?" I asked, confused by his sudden question.

"Make the house very smoky," he said, giggling.

Kinomoto laughed at that, turning to me.

I kept my eyes on him though. I had been doing very well today, avoiding forbidden thoughts about the girl and I wanted to keep it that way.

"Yes. She burned food all the time."

"Mhm, and that's why we have Ms. Hana! She cooks all the food for us in the house," Xing said, excited. "She's a very good cook, isn't she Daddy?"

I nodded, smiling as I thought about the woman. She had really done a lot for me over the years.

The closer it got to eight, the more people came, which only brought us closer together. I was beginning to grow extremely uncomfortable.

"Daddy, can you pick me up so I can see the fireworks? I'm too little," Xing said, sadly.

I nodded, picking him up. I placed him on my neck, holding on to his hands so he wouldn't fall back.

"Look at me, Sakura! I'm very tall!" Xing exclaimed.

She tilted her head back, looking up at him. "I see—"

She was bumped farther back into me by a kid pushing through the crowd with his family.

I would've glared at them if it weren't for the feeling of her against me. Thus, provoking the forbidden thoughts.

She shifted, attempting to move her body from mine, but it only made things worst. For me, at least.

Her ass was directly pressed against my crouch, bringing it to life.

A set of hands were placed over my eyes, blocking my view from her. "Now Daddy can't see the fireworks!" I heard Xing say, laughing.

And then she moved again, creating a delicious friction against the erection through my jeans.

I stifled a groan, grabbing Xing's hands, removing them.

He placed them back on my eyes, and she rubbed against me again.

I think I did groan this time, and my hands abandoned Xing's, falling to Kinomoto's hips to still her.

Her body froze, and I could still hear Xing praising the fact that I couldn't see.

I didn't need to see to _feel_ her pressing against me like this, though.

Uncontrollably, I pressed further into her ass, and I think heard a sharp inhale of breath escape her mouth...

How was I supposed to be sure with all this noise though?

Unconsciously, or maybe not, I pulled her back against me harder.

 _Damn it..._

I needed to stop, but I couldn't and she was letting me and her...

I stopped rubbing her ass against me.

She was only 17.

A loud applaud came after that thought, and a loud, cheering cry.

I moved my hands off her hips immediately, placing them at my side.

"It was so awesome!" Xing yelled. "Right, Daddy?"

"Y-yeah," I said, referring to something completely different from him.

"We should go. There's going to be a lot of traffic."

Without thinking, I grabbed Kinomoto's hand, shuffling us out of the crowd.

After we reached the bus, I placed Xing on the ground, and let Kinomoto's hand go. I was a little surprised that she hadn't pulled her hand back from me. She didn't hold mine in return though.

Once we got to the car, I buckled Xing in the back seat and myself in the front.

It wasn't a surprise that Kinomoto didn't make a single sound or movement on the ride home. And I certainly wasn't going to look in her direction to see if she was awake. So, the drive home was silent and awkward.

When we got home, I put the sleeping Xing in bed, glad that he didn't even budge. He was really tired, thank goodness.

After Xing was tucked in, I headed to my room until hearing glass shatter. I walked to the kitchen, already expecting the person to be there.

It was Kinomoto.

She turned to me, wide-eyed, surprised by my arrival.

"I..." I could see her throat bob, swallowing nervously.

"I'm going to clean that up. I didn't mean to..." She looked me in the eyes and her entire face turned a shade of red. "I swear I'm going to get it up—"

She stopped talking when I walked in the kitchen fully. I grabbed the broom and began sweeping up the broken glass. I recall her doing something similar like this the other day for me, so I could return the favor.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that," she said, walking over to me, attempting to grab the broom from me.

Her fingers brushed against mine, causing my body to freeze at the spark I felt from it.

She snatched her hand away, resting it behind her back. She had a shy, sheepish look on her face.

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it..._

Without thinking, I gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her body towards mine. My other hand abandoned the broom, letting it drop to the floor as I leaned down, capturing her lips with mine.

To say they didn't feel better than I expected them to, would be a lie that I would burn in eternity for...

* * *

 **A/N: Finally completed writing this chapter. It was getting a bit hard to write it after the beach scene. I don't know why because I already had everything planned out and how I wanted the chapter to go lol.**

 **Anyway, thank you guys so much for the reviews from last chapter. I'm hoping this one wasn't disappointing to anyone(besides the length, maybe? I don't think I've written a chapter this long yet lol.) I'm hoping to get another chapter out by next week, but no promises!**

 **Ja ne!**


	13. Surprise After Surprise

**"Surprise After Surprise"**

* * *

"Look what I did, Sakura!" Xing exclaimed, shoving something in my face.

My eyes landed on the paper, snapping me out of my stupor.

"O-oh...it looks nice," I stuttered.

A wide grin spread across his face and he hugged me, tightly. "Thank you! It's for you," he said.

He pulled back and handed it to me.

Accepting it, a wide smile spread across my face too. "Thank you."

He placed the back of his small hand against my forehead, face looking concentrated at mine. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Why do you ask that, honey?" I asked, despite my knowledge of the answer. This wasn't the first time that I heard it.

"You're all red in the face. And every time Daddy is sick, or Mommy, or me, or my aunties and cousins, and—"

I giggled, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I think I get it."

He took a deep breath and released it. "Thank goodness. Anyway, they all get red in the face when they're sick. So, does that mean that _you're_ sick?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

I shook my head slowly. "I'm not sick, Xing."

"Then why are you all red in the face? We have to tell Daddy so he can take care of you with me and—"

"No!" I interrupted quickly. "I'm fine, really. Pinky promise." I held my pinky up towards him.

He sighed, staring in my eyes for a moment seriously. "Are you sure?" he asked.

I smiled at him, nodding my head. "Positive."

He grinned, linking his pinky with mine. "So now you have to draw me a picture and then I can color it, and then give it to you!"

I burst out laughing, nodding my head.

The things this kid came up with. It was a wonder how he related to his father. I had not seen him since we got back on Sunday night.

It was Friday and neither of us had the chance to see or say a word to the man.

Images of the night we came back from Disney flashed my mind.

Everything was perfect this past weekend, including Xing and Li. I was able to talk to him, and get him involved in everything we did. We had so much fun...

And the fireworks, they...

My cheeks warmed at the thoughts of the firework show.

I wish I could say that the show was beautiful, but I couldn't. I couldn't because I was too busy focused on the fact that I kept rubbing against him.

It wasn't on purpose, but...

I had never felt so...confident in myself than I had that night. It wasn't the fact that I was rubbing against _him_...it was _what_ I was rubbing against.

I knew a little about men, or at least enough to know why... _that_ gets hard. Certainly, it wasn't a coincidence this time that he was.

At the park, maybe, but the fireworks show, no. That only brought one question to mind. Was he attracted to me? Or, did he find me attractive?

If so, that would explain the kis—

My cheeks grew hot, thinking about the kiss.

 _I pulled back as soon as his lips came in contact with mine. "L-Li-kun—"_

 _To my surprise, he gently grabbed my face, looking in my eyes intensely, which only left me with no choice but to accept the second kiss he gave me._

 _He maneuvered our bodies towards the counter by the sink, gently pressing my body against it with his own._

 _His lips felt soft and full against mine, despite his stubble that I felt prickling my face._

 _I had never been kissed before by anyone, so I couldn't compare his lips to anyone. They felt...great, though._

 _He gently caressed my cheeks with his thumb, pressing his lips against mine a little firmer._ _Awkwardly, I puckered my lips a little against his, clueless as to how I was supposed to do this._

 _His upper lip was between mine, while his bottom lip caressed my lower one._

 _I would never do this—or maybe because it didn't ever happen to me, but I did._ _I was kissing Li back, possibly in the most terrible way, and I **liked** it._

 _Maybe it was because he was attractive, or maybe the fact that he found me attractive?_ _I didn't know, but I liked his body pressed against mine more than Mr. Hiroshi's._

 _I had been dreaming and fantasizing about doing this for a while. Even though I had always imagined my first real kiss to be with someone I loved, this felt okay too. It felt weird...but right._

 _My hands moved up to his shoulders, holding on a little when I felt his tongue swipe across my lower lip._

 _I knew what he was asking for. I couldn't give it to him, afraid of what he would try to do if I did._

 _His lips moved against mine, hands falling at my waist to pull me closer to him._

 _When I felt his tongue lick my lips again, my hands slid down his shoulders to his chest to stop him._ _Hesitantly, I pulled back from his lips to end the kiss. I looked him in the eyes, almost questioning why he had kissed me._

 _He didn't answer, though. Instead, he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine again, and then pulled back._

 _I looked up at him, mouth slightly parted to speak, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say?_

 _His eyes closed tightly and he released a groan, pulling his body from mine._

 _He didn't say another word before he left me sitting in the kitchen alone._

"Sakura," Xing whined, snapping me out of the memory. "You aren't drawing the picture..." he said sadly.

"I'm sorry."

Quickly, I drew a terrible dog, and then handed it to him so he could color it.

It was kind of a bummer that Li wasn't talking to me anymore, but I didn't know if I should be happy or sad about it.

He was a really nice guy, he looked after me, along with Xing, and he could have fun.

I may not know much about him, but he had already done so much for me to conclude that he was a good person.

Xing suddenly dropped the crayons. "Can I have a snack?"

I glanced at the clock, looking at the time. "Ms. Hana will be here shortly to start on dinner," I said.

He sighed, dropping his head. "But I'm hungry now..." he said sadly.

"Surely you can wait a bit for dinner. You can't be that hungry because you had a snack less than an hour ago."

He pouted, folding his arms. "Fine. Is Daddy going to be home for dinner this time?"

I frowned. "I don't know. I would like to tell you that he will..." I trailed off, looking away from his watering eyes.

"Do you think Daddy doesn't want to be around me anymore?" he asked quietly, dropping his head again.

I felt my heart tighten, and I stooped to his height, grabbing his shoulders gently. "Look at me," I said softly.

I regretted it the moment his glistening eyes locked with mine.

"Of course, your father wants you, and to be around. He's just very busy," I tried explaining.

"I haven't seen him since we left the theme park, though."

I closed my eyes. I had forgotten that Xing was sleeping when Li got back in from 'taking care of business,' on Sunday.

He had left me and Xing the entire Sunday morning, all the way up until that evening, where Xing had fallen asleep. We left the US as soon as he got in, so Xing didn't even get to spend any time with him on Sunday. And then Monday came when neither of us saw him.

Maybe I would have seen him if I stayed up a little later than eleven o'clock, but there was no reason to. It was Xing who wanted to see him, not me. I wanted to avoid him, if anything.

The rest of the week had been the same, so here we were, both feeling down that we had not seen or heard from him all week.

Maybe I was a little happy that I had not seen the man, wanting to avoid him anyway, but another side of me was dissapointed.

"He's just really busy, Xing. Remember what he talked about this past weekend?" I asked, swiping the tear that rolled down his cheek.

"He doesn't love me! If he did, he would try to see me, wouldn't he? He would come home and play with me, right?" he asked between sobs.

I bit my trembling lip, pulling him in for a hug. I wanted to tell him that his dad would be home any minute to make it up to him, but I couldn't. I didn't know anything regarding the man's personal life.

"He's trying. He will try, you just have to wait a little while," I tried convincing him. Even so, I couldn't even believe myself.

I didn't know what else to tell him, so I held him close to my chest as he cried.

* * *

"Wake up, Sakura," I heard Xing as he shook my body gently.

I sighed, turning over. Xing stared in my eyes almost intensely, reminding me of a certain person.

I glanced at the clock to see that it was four forty-five. "Why are you awake so early?" I asked grouchily.

"I have to go to the potty," he said, sounding restrained.

I closed my eyes for a moment or two, and then pulled the covers from our bodies. I patted his bottom, motioning for him to hop out the bed. I was close behind his trail as he nearly ran to the bathroom in my room. I stood outside the door, giving him his privacy while trying to keep my irritation level on zero.

I had been letting him sleep with me every night since Tuesday. There was always something that made him wake me up this early.

Having this much attention from the little kid erased all these moments of irritation with my fatigue, so it was okay.

He kind of let me sleep in for an extra hour every morning since we had been sleeping together to.

"Did you wash your hands?" I asked after he finished using it.

His cheeks turned red and he ran back in the bathroom, turning the water on.

When he came back, we went back to bed and slept for a little bit.

I didn't know how long I had slept because I was getting right back up not too long after. It was the door that woke us both up, thanks to Ms. Hana.

It was Saturday, probably the last day that I would be able to sleep in. School started Monday, so there was no more sleeping in, or Xing—

I froze at the thought. I wouldn't be with Xing all day anymore. That thought made me feel… depressed.

Sighing, I pushed the thought to the back of my head and ate breakfast with Xing and Ms. Hana.

After we finished eating, I convinced Ms. Hana to stay over a little longer so she could spend a bit of time with Xing and me.

We played a few games before she left us to it.

"Ms. Hana said that it should be okay to swim...so, can we?" Xing asked me uncertainly.

I shrugged. "It's been two hours since we ate, so I would say that it's okay," I said, smiling at him.

I didn't necessarily feel comfortable with doing this. Saturday and swimming was something that I recalled Xing telling me that him and his father did. I didn't want to make Li think that I was trying to steal it from him. Or was I thinking too hard about it?

Ms. Hana said that it should be fine, so it would be fine.

He turned to me, hugging me tightly.

I picked him up, carrying him to his room to change his clothes. After I finished changing him, I went to my room to change into mine.

"We can play in the water all day!" Xing exclaimed as we walked to the backyard.

I smiled, squeezing his hand gently. "Until we get all soft and pruny," I said, giggling.

I pushed the backdoor opened, stepping outside with him. As soon as I closed the door, his fingers slipped from mine and he took off towards the water.

I panicked when he jumped in the deepest part of the pool. "Xing!" I called, running towards the pool to jump in.

When my body landed on the bottom of the pool floor, I opened my eyes under the water, looking for him.

I couldn't see him. Quickly, I swam to the top, gasping for air, immediately looking around for him. "Xing—!"

"I'm right here, Sakura," I heard him.

I turned in the direction of his voice, heart slowing down at the grin on his face in the corner. I sighed, swimming to him.

"Don't do that," I said, grabbing him from the corner, swimming us to the area where my feet touched the floor.

"What did I do?"

I looked in his face, seeing his brows scrunch in confusion. "I didn't know you could swim so well. You scared me," I said, hugging him tightly.

He wrapped his legs around me tightly, hugging me around the neck. "I'm sorry. I know how to swim, though. I learned a very, very long time ago," he said, smiling at me.

"Is there anything else that I need to know?" I asked, giving him a pointed look.

"Uhh...umm...I know how to ride the bike!" he exclaimed.

I giggled, releasing my hold on him, but he kept himself wrapped around my body. "Okay. You can't do things like that without telling me," I said, stomach still tied in knots at the thought of losing him.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to scare you," he said sadly, kissing my cheek.

I smiled and pried his little body from mine.

"Well, how about we play a game and see who swims the fastest?" Xing asked me.

I nodded, pulling us both to the edge of the pool. I ended up winning, but he begged to go another round, which only left me with the choice of letting him win.

We played in the water for a few hours before I called it a day. Xing looked tired, and I was almost sure that he would collapse as soon as I put him down for a nap.

"Can we take a nap when we finish rinsing off?" Xing asked me as I towel dried his hair.

I smiled, nodding my head. "Yes. You look very tired," I said, popping his nose lightly.

He scrunched his nose, pulling his face back from my finger. "You look very tired too," he said, sticking his tongue at me.

I giggled, wrapping his naked body in the towel. I picked him up, walking out of the bathroom. I dried him off, and then dressed him in a comfortable outfit.

I didn't get any complaints from him the entire time, thankfully. As soon as I laid him down, he was out, just as I predicted he would.

Now, I needed to shower and change—

I stopped in my tracks, eyes wide from the sight of the person in front of Xing's door. My breath caught in my throat, heart tightening, and stomach tied in knots, _again_. Was this give Sakura a heart attack day?

I opened my mouth, ready to speak to the man after an entire week of not seeing or hearing him. Not a single coherent sentence came to mind, though.

Closing my mouth, I looked down, away from his amber eyes bashfully.

"Kinomoto—"

"Li-san!" I interrupted without thinking. "How are you?" I asked awkwardly.

When he didn't respond, I looked up at him hesitantly. My cheeks burned when I saw his eyes locked on my body.

"W-we just finished swimming. I didn't know if it was your thing with him, but he really wanted to swim and Ms. Hana said that it should be okay to swim, so I thought it was okay. I didn't know you were here, but if I did, I would've asked you if we could, and I may have even asked you to join us. Well, maybe not because I'm not sure if you really like me around anymore since—"

"Kinomoto."

I blushed, folding my arms around my body, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "I'm rambling again, aren't I?" I asked, bringing my hand up to my mouth to nervously chew on my nails.

He nodded. "I've had a busy week. That's why I haven't been around," he said quietly.

I reached behind me, closing Xing's door, but I kept a tight grip on the knob just in case I needed to escape.

"I-I see. It's not like I thought you were avoiding me."

I regretted it the moment it came out of my stupid, _stupid_ mouth.

Why couldn't the gods just take me now?

He bit the inside of his cheek, clearing his throat. It only brought a thick blanket of tension to lay in the room.

"There has been no such thing taken place. If I could see my son at any given point this week, I would have. A measly kiss with a girl wouldn't even change that," he said coldly.

Measly kiss?

I bit my tongue, holding back the insult that I wanted to give him. If I was remembering correctly, **_he_** is the one who initiated it.

"Then, what? Surely you could have taken five minutes out of your day to give a call, let him know that you're busy and want to be with him, or spend time with him. Even if it was just to tell him that you love him. _Anything_. It's been an entire week without you, and you expect him to feel okay with that? He's—"

I was surprised to feel my face pressed against something solid and warm, and arms wrapped around my body.

Li was embracing me, in probably one of the warmest and tightest embrace that I'd ever had before. Or maybe it was because I was already cold from my earlier swim.

"I know, okay? I know what you're saying, and I get that." His hand moved up to the back of my wet, auburn hair, pulling me closer to his chest.

I could hear and feel his heart beating erratically against his chest.

"But, it's not that easy. It's not easy to choose your kid over work as much as you want to. So, you don't get to tell me what's right, even if it's right. And you certainly don't get to shed any tears on behalf of _my_ kid," he said the last part a little broken.

To emphasis his point, he held me closer to him, almost crushing my bones and head with his tight grip.

When had I started crying?

I understood, now. He didn't want me to cry for his mistakes. He didn't want me to care for them so much. But how? How could I not do that when he practically forced me to accept him taking care of me?

Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around him gently. "Try," I barely whispered, feeling more tears well in my eyes as Xing's tears came to mind.

He released me, but kept his eyes locked with mine. "Come to my office with me," he said.

Before I could respond, he was already pulling me with him towards his office.

I took a few deep breaths, hoping that it would get my raging heart under control before it exploded in my chest. I could still feel his hard body pressed firmly against mine, even though he only had my hand in his.

What had gotten into me lately?

Once we got to his office, he let my hand go and moved over to his desk. He pulled one of the drawers out, digging inside of it to grab something out.

It was a phone.

"Here," he said, handing it to me.

Hesitantly, I accepted the expensive gadget into my hand.

"My personal and work cell number are already in there, so if you ever need anything, just call. I'll contact you throughout the week to speak with Xing sometimes. I bought it earlier this week, but I haven't got the chance to see you, or Xing."

I swallowed, nodding my head. "Thanks... I'll be sure to have it on at all times," I said nervously.

"You can call whoever you would like as long as it's no one that could put you or Xing in danger."

My heart fluttered at the fact that he wanted to keep me safe too.

He really wasn't as bad as I thought he was...

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

And then one person came to mind.

Tomoyo.

I had not seen or heard from her in the last few weeks, and I was beginning to think that she had forgotten about me. I certainly didn't forget about her because I thought of her every day. I just didn't think to get into contact with her, with all that had been going on.

"Thank you, Li-san," I said again, suddenly feeling in debt to the man.

He had given me something that could lead me back to my best friend.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Uh…" he started, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "We need to talk…"

I swallowed, forgetting about the phone call for now. I already knew what he wanted to talk about.

"About?" I asked like the immature girl I am.

Why couldn't he act immature about this too like he had with the drunk incident? Why did he have to act like an adult now?

"This past weekend," he said clearly.

I was right. He was trying to be an adult.

"What about it?" I asked.

"The firework show, and the kiss," he stated boldly.

Thanks to his boldness, my face felt like it would explode at any minute now. Couldn't we do this another time when I was not in my bikini top and bottoms?

"What about them?" I asked, hoping to sound nonchalant about it.

He had already told me that nothing inappropriate would take place between us, so did he expect me to want a relationship with him suddenly because he kissed me?

"The firework show was neither of our doings, but the kiss at the condo was…my doings. I just want to apologize on behalf of my lack of self-control that night. I'm not proud of my actions and I shouldn't have done that. And—"

"So…you don't find me attractive?" I asked without thinking.

My cheeks burned once again, and I was ready to revive myself from my stupid mouth. "It's not that I expect you to. I mean, it's okay if you don't. In your eyes, I'm probably just a little girl who hasn't even graduated from high school yet. I mean, I'm too skinny, lacking in all types of sexual appeals, and with a guy who is extremely attractive as you are, I wouldn't expect you to think that I'm attractive because you've seen better. Of course, you've seen better. You're twenty-five and wealthy, and well-known, which means that you know a lot of people and—"

"You are attractive," he interrupted.

My mouth remained open slightly from my rambling, shocked by his confident statement.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"That's why I kissed you," he said in a tone that left me with no choice but to question him.

"But why?" I asked quietly.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair the way I wanted to.

"It doesn't matter why. It shouldn't have happened—"

"So, you regret stealing my first kiss?" I asked, a bit hurt by his crude words.

"First kiss?" he asked, looking at me confused.

I blushed, nodding my head. "Yes…"

He groaned exasperatedly. "Damn it…I didn't know that it was your first. Surely, you've shared a few kisses with a crush in elementary school, or middle school," he said, almost sounding sure about it.

I shook my head, no. "I always…imagined my first kiss to be with someone that I'm in love with," I said shyly.

He ran a hand down his face, looking annoyed and frustrated. With whom, though? Me or himself?

"That's childish, Kinomoto. And no, I'm not saying that because I'm a guy. However, situations like that are very rare. It's not likely to happen."

I frowned. "Well, I could have been in that rare category," I said quietly.

He sighed again, murmuring something about me being immature-minded.

I pursed my lips, annoyed with the insult. "I am not a child, and the way I think is not immature. You have no right to say that," I said, wondering where this confidence was rising from.

He scoffed as if he didn't believe me. "Prove it, then," he said.

What?

"Prove to me that you're not a child, or that you don't have an immature mindset," he said.

I baffled at him, surprised that he would even say such a thing. "How could I possibly do that?" I asked, heart racing at the answer that I secretly knew was to come.

"Come here," he said softly.

There was not a hint of playfulness to his words, or his tone. He was serious. Then again, when was he not?

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. When had we gotten to this level of communication again?

I swallowed, walking towards him slowly, almost hesitantly. Once I stood in front of him, looking up to meet his gaze, I bit my bottom lip lightly out of habit.

His breath caught, eyes locking with mine. "Kiss me," he said, almost as if he were in a trance.

I swallowed. "I already have," I said, finding my voice that had been hiding somewhere.

"That was a childish kiss. Kiss me like an adult would," he said huskily.

I could feel my body temperature rising sky high that it was nearly suffocating to breath in his presence. What was he doing to my body, without doing anything to it?

I took a deep, shaky breath, ready to retort, but nothing came to mind. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down so his face was close to mine.

The first kiss wasn't okay...but this time, it was to prove a point, which made it okay, right?

Before my conscious, or that small voice, and anything that would normally stop me from doing this kicked in, I pulled him down so the gap between our lips would no longer be visible.

Immediately, his hands dropped down to my waist, almost burning my bare skin under his fingertips. I let my lips mimic the way his moved against mine the last time we kissed.

I gently sucked on his lower lip, hoping that I was involved more than I had been the first time. And then he did it again.

He swept his tongue across my lower lip, asking for permission to enter my mouth. Because of the way my body felt heated, and the tightening ache between my legs, I opened my mouth this time for him.

His tongue slid past my slightly parted lips, forcefully opening my lips wider so it could explore my mouth more.

He gripped my waist gently, pulling my body towards his more. All of my weight was probably being held up by him because my legs felt like jelly. I could barely stand on my own.

Awkwardly and shyly, my tongue participated in the dance, getting a taste of his tongue. I could feel something hard pressing against my stomach as our tongues tangled with one another.

Slowly, his hands moved down my body to my lower back, causing a wave of goosebumps to glide down my body.

When his lips took my tongue between them and he sucked, my ears registered a weak, whimper in the back of my throat.

When we needed to breathe, he pulled back, breaking the contact between our lips. He didn't release his hold on my body, though.

His heavy-lidded eyes locked with mine, and he rested his forehead against mine.

"You can't even begin to imagine how much I've been longing to do that again all week," he whispered, what I believe to be, to himself.

I could feel myself blushing again, but I held his intense, hungry gaze for once. Swallowing, I cleared my throat. "Did I prove my point?" I asked quietly.

Where had my voice run off to again?

"Not enough," he murmured, closing the gap between our lips again.

I kind of had the hang of it now, so I kissed him back with as much passion as he did. This time, I didn't hesitate to taste him with my tongue, and my hands even slid into his thick, soft hair.

He gently moved us to his desk, resting my butt cheeks on the edge of the cold wood.

Were we really doing this? I couldn't even remember why we were kissing anymore.

When his hand dropped to my bare thigh, I jumped, realization dawning on me.

He pulled back from me with a questioning look on his face.

"X-Xing is just across the hall from here," I stuttered.

His hand dropped from my thigh, eyes closing tightly.

"You're right," he said with a sigh. His face even looked a little restrained as if he were having a mental battle with himself.

I wanted to ask him if he enjoyed it this time. Did he want to continue? Was I better this time? I just wanted to know... _something_.

I could feel his eyes lingering on my body for a moment, heating up my skin again. Why was he so good at that?

He fingered the ties on my bikini bottom a bit. For a moment, I feared that he would pull the straps, revealing my most intimate parts to him.

"You should go change, or you'll get sick," he said, gently tugging on the string, rising my anxiety to a new level.

"Y-yeah. Are you going to be here all day?" I asked hesitantly, trying to ignore his fingers playing with the string.

"I plan to take Xing out if that is what you're asking. I just finished showering after I woke up," he said.

That was when I noticed his slightly damp hair. Didn't I just feel his hair between my fingers a few seconds ago? Or was I that lost in the kiss we had shared?

"Well, Xing is sleeping right now," I said quietly.

"I'm aware of that."

I sighed, feeling awkward again. I thought we had got past this feeling…

"Well—"

"There's no reason to feel awkward, Kinomoto. Kissing is a normal activity that people engage in," he said.

Could he read minds?

"I-I know. It's just…a little weird that we kissed and you still call me by my surname, which is okay, but it's still a little weird to me. Not that the kissing was weird because it wasn't, but—"

"Sakura," he said softly.

My cheeks warmed and my heart raced, hearing him say my first name for the first time. I liked it much better than my surname.

I smiled. "Then it's okay to call you Syaoran?" I asked shyly.

His face appeared serious for a few seconds of deadly silence as he stared at me, while I held my breath, mentally preparing myself for his answer.

He nodded. "That's fine."

I grinned. "Really?" I asked excitedly.

He nodded again. "Would you like to go out with us today?" he asked.

I did want to spend more time with him, but this was not about me.

I shook my head. "Nah, I already took half of your day with him, while taking something that was your thing with him. I don't think I could intrude any further on your family time," I said truthfully.

Xing needed to feel comfortable around his dad because I wasn't going to be around forever.

"You won't be intruding on us," he said reassuringly.

I shook my head, smiling at him kindly. "School starts Monday, so you should spend time with him. I don't want to interrupt and take any of his attention," I said.

Did he _want_ me to come with them?

I held back a smile at the thought of him actually _wanting_ me to come along with them. Was that a good or bad thing?

"But—" He stopped as if he realized something. "You're right. And you need a break from him. I know he can be a handful sometimes," he said.

I shook my head vigorously. "Of course not. I love being with him all day," I said quickly, meaning every rushed word.

"You still need a rest from him."

I nodded, not wanting to argue with him. He was going to spend time with his son, and that's all that mattered.

* * *

I pulled the last knee-length sock up my leg, and then slipped my loafers on. I turned to the full-length mirror in front of me and observed my appearance in it.

Collard white shirt with a blue and red striped tie. Check.

Navy-blue vest with the school logo on it. Check.

Red and blue plaid skirt that reached a few inches above my knees, just as the school's dress code says. Check.

Dark blue knee-length socks. Check.

And the ugly, old dark brown loafers that might as well should have been black. Check.

Everything was set, except my hair. However, I didn't plan to do much to it today besides leave it down and alone. Maybe use a few clips to hold down the strands that were too stubborn to follow along with the other strands.

Today was the start of the second term of senior year, which meant the nervous feeling of meeting new people, while rekindling old friendships was present. I had mentally prepared myself for this, though.

After Syaoran and Xing left the house Saturday, I decided to have a little me time. I took a long, hot bath, shaved for what it seemed like the longest of time. Then, I gave myself a mini manicure and pedicure since I had not done that in a long time. I lotioned myself down, and did everything that would make me feel like a normal girl again.

When Sunday came, I was refreshed. I only had the opportunity to see and play with Xing for a little while until Syaoran decided to take him out one last time that evening.

My cheeks warmed at the thought of the man and a certain act that we had done on Saturday afternoon.

We kissed. He took my first _real_ kiss and I felt okay with that. I mean, I had never really thought of kissing as something… _big_ , but I certainly didn't think of it as something little.

Kissing was for romance…aside from the time Touya had accidentally landed a nice one on me when I was in my early years of elementary school. It wasn't a real kiss, though. It was an accident that he got in trouble for.

The reason he had kissed me was because of his protectiveness, as always. He didn't want me to think about kissing any guys at all, for whatever reason.

I smiled, remembering the moment like it was only yesterday.

 _"But a first kiss is supposed to be something special. That's what everyone says in my class. They've all had their first kisses and they said that it's nice!" I had whined to Touya._

 _"Kissing is not for everyone, Sakura. You're not kissing Yoriuchi," he finalized, folding his arms._

 _"But I have to have my first kiss like everyone else!" I whined, tears welling in my eyes._

 _"Fine! If I give you the first kiss, you have to promise that you won't ever kiss any guys!" he had said, glaring at me._

 _My eyes widened, mouth opening slightly in a small 'o.' "Would you really do that for me? So that I can tell everyone that I've lost my first kiss too?"_

 _He nodded, looking determined to not get me to kiss any guys._

 _"Okay!" I puckered my lips like a fish, waiting for the kiss to come. Touya was someone special in my life, so he had to have counted as someone special._

 _He folded his lips together to avoid actual lip touching, and then landed one on my mouth. He pulled back just as fast as he made the contact._

 _His face scrunched up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand from my wet kiss. "There. It's done! No more talking about nonsense now," he said, lifting his head high._

 _A wide grin spread across my face and I hugged him tightly. As soon as I released him, I had run straight to Oto-san to tell him about the kiss, which landed Touya in trouble._

I giggled, shaking my head from the memory. I really missed him…

Closing my eyes, I thought of something better to think about. I had already cried myself to sleep last night, thinking about how different things would be in school now. Now was not the time for tears.

On a better note, I had called Tomoyo yesterday and we talked all day, or majority of the day. She had told me that there was no service where she stayed this summer, and apologized profusely. I felt a little bad that she had a reason, while I didn't have much of a reason.

I could have asked Syaoran, or Ms. Hana for a cell to ring her for a moment, but I didn't think too. It was okay in the end, though. She told me all about her summer, and I told her about my make-believe uncle that I've been staying with since Touya passed.

I remembered Syaoran telling me not to tell anyone about our arrangement, so I didn't know if it would be okay to tell her. For some reason, I felt like I would eventually spill the beans to her. Well, that reason was simply because she's my best friend, so there was no escaping it. Instead, I planned to hold off on it for a little while.

None of the arrangements, or anything mattered right now. Today was going to be the first day back after a nice break, so that was all I needed to focus on.

I reached over, grabbing a few clips to pin my hair down. Everything looked great, from my head to my toes. However, I knew not to think so highly of my handy work. There was always something that I missed.

I didn't want to overthink it, so I grabbed my bag out of the chair by my nightstand, and walked out of my room, into the quiet hall of the house.

It was still early, and I didn't want to wake anyone in the house yet. I had to get up extra early so I didn't miss the train, and knowing the terrible person I am in the morning, I wanted to get a head start mentally.

Quietly, I closed the door behind me, and decided to leave a note on the table in the kitchen to let Syaoran know that I had already left.

After that, I walked out of the house, closing the door behind me quietly. There was a bus down the street from here, so I ended up riding the bus to the train station. I paid for a ticket and got on the train, sitting in a corner by myself.

Thankfully, it wasn't full here since it was still early in the morning. I wasn't sure how my schedule would look this semester, so I wanted to find out as early as possible. I heard from Tomoyo that there was going to be a new teacher and special class that would be taught this semester for juniors and seniors, so I was really looking forward to it.

Would the teacher treat us well, or would they be a likeable person, were the questions running through my head as I looked out the window of the train.

I would just have to wait and see…right?

* * *

"I heard he's a rich, well-known guy around the world," I heard one of my classmate's whisper to her friend.

"I heard that he's _hot_ ," another said.

"Rich and hot equals stuck up!" a guy in the front of the class said, obviously listening in on the conversation.

"I beg to differ. I've heard of several rich and hot guys who are extremely nice."

"Teacher and hot equals A for me."

"Don't act like a whore already Mitsuki."

I was currently sitting in the back of the classroom, quietly listening to the conversations of everyone. I recalled Tomoyo saying a few words to me about the new teacher, but I wasn't really paying much attention to the new gossip of the new teacher.

My mind was too occupied with the little boy at the house of the man whom I shared a few kisses with. I wondered what they could possibly be doing right now.

Well, Syaoran was most likely at work, busying himself with the norm, and Xing was at school. It was his first day of school, which meant that he would have so much to tell me. I was already excited to hear about it.

"What are you thinking about, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked, poking my side.

I flinched, smiling at her. "Well, I'm just listening to the conversations of everyone talking about the teacher who should be here at any minute," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

It wasn't a lie. There was no possible way that I could shut out everything everyone talked about here, especially with the topic of everyone's conversation being the same.

"Are you excited? Your face showed excitement," Tomoyo said, smiling at her.

I looked at her, noticing that she still looked the same. Nothing had changed. Maybe her dark, grey hair had gotten longer. Her amethyst eyes still complimented her pale skin, and she still had the air of a goddess. In my opinion, at least. I had always admired her beauty.

"A little. I just don't know what to expect. Obviously, it's a he, so that's all I can really go with. Maybe he'll be like Terada-sensei was in Elementary school!" I said excited.

If he were, that would be more than awesome. Terada-sensei had been the best teacher that I have ever had, so far. Mizuki-sensei was also great, but I believe that Terada-sensei beat her.

"Well, he's rich, and teaching isn't his first job, so we can only hope, right?" she said, smiling at me.

I returned the smile, nodding my head. "You're right. Fingers crossed?" I said, holding up my crossed fingers.

She giggled, nodding her head too. "Fingers crossed," she confirmed, holding up hers too.

"Are we still going to hang out after school?" I asked.

Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, and Tomoyo had planned for us to get together after class so we could catch up. We didn't really have any classes together, besides this one.

"Of course! You asked your uncle yet?" she asked me.

Guilt ate at my heart, hearing that question. I _really_ needed to spill the beans to her.

"N-not yet, but he'll say yes most likely," I said, smiling at her to reassure her that it would be okay.

"Phone him as soon as this class ends," she said.

I nodded. "Of course."

The door to the classroom opened, causing everyone to freeze in the room, including myself.

All eyes shifted to the direction of the door, including mine.

I stared for a moment, and then closed my eyes tightly before rubbing them vigorously to make sure that what I was seeing was accurate.

When I opened them again, my hallucination was no longer considered hallucination.

It was Li Syaoran, standing at the entrance of the door, dressed in a professional suit with a brief case in his hand.

* * *

 **I know that I said that I would be uploading a new chapter a week after the last, but I lost a little motivation here lol. And then I just got back from a mni vacation, so that added on to the days. No worries though, it's back! I can't promise a new chapter within the next few days because I have to work for the next couple of days all day(including on new years eve and day T^T).**

 **But, thanks a bunch for the reviews and alerts! I hope you guys have a great new year! :)**


	14. The New Teacher

**"The New Teacher"**

* * *

My heart beat against my chest hard and rapidly, uncontrollably. I could feel my palms growing hot and sweaty, though his eyes weren't on me.

 _Li Syaoran is the teacher everyone was just talking about. **Li Syaoran.**_

 _Li_.

 _Syaoran_.

He's the 'hot' teacher that everyone was going on about!

I held my breath, fearing that he would notice me if I made a single move, even though I was in the back of the classroom.

How could he though? There were over thirty of us in this classroom and I was in the back of the classroom on the far end. Maybe he wouldn't notice that I'm here as long as I keep my mouth shut.

 _Yeah, that would be best to do._

"Are you okay, Sakura?" My ears registered Tomoyo asking, but my heart that was thundering in my chest drowned out everything around me.

Li Syaoran is the teacher of this new class that we were taking. He's the father of the kid I've been looking after. And he's the man who's taken my _first_ kiss!

I could feel my head becoming dizzy, spinning in spirals until I realized that I was still holding my breath. Releasing it, I turned in the direction where I felt a hand grip my shoulder.

"I-I'm fine, Tomoyo," I whispered.

"Have you heard of him before?" she asked quietly.

I looked to the front of the classroom at him to see the familiar hard glare on his face as he sat his things on the desk and unzipped the brief case. Turning back to Tomoyo, I shook my head, no, not wanting to risk anything.

He already looked angry, so why add fuel to the fire if he found out that I had told someone about our current situation.

"No, but I may have," I said quietly.

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?" she whisper-yelled.

I shriveled back from her tone, feeling like I answered the wrong answer.

"He's one of the most well-known businessmen in Asia, Sakura."

I opened my mouth to respond, but stopped the moment I heard a voice clearing its throat in the front of the classroom.

Everyone's whispering came to a stop, attentions becoming undivided to the teacher.

I tried to avoid looking in the front of the classroom in hopes of him not discovering me in the classroom.

There was the sound of chalk writing on the board before I looked to the front to see that he was writing something on it.

Once he finished, he turned to the classroom, which was my cue to look down again.

"My name is Li Syaoran. If it isn't palpable enough, I'm going to be your teacher for the rest of the school year." His voice sounded as it did when I first met him a month ago. Cold and distant.

I wanted to groan, already knowing that it was going to be a rough rest of the year with him. This side of him was mean, cold, and even rude.

There were more gasps and whispers in the class, which only confirmed my suspicions that everyone knew who he was. Was I really the only person who didn't know about him before we met?

He cleared his throat, silencing the classroom again. "I am not a difficult man, but I do expect a few things from you all," he said.

I bit my lip, holding myself back from saying what I suspected he would say. He had been so strict and stern with me that it was painfully obvious what he would say.

"I expect you all to act your ages because this is not a class that should be taken lightly. It is an advanced course beyond your minds, but you all should have the decency to act like people who are about to become adults," he said sternly.

I looked around the class to see if anyone had taken offense to his tone and accusations of us being children.

It was a little surprising to see that myself and only a few others had caught on to it because the others were still in awe of who he was.

When I heard the chalk on the board again, I looked to the front to see him writing something else down.

 **Respect**.

 **Attention**.

He picked up the ruler and pointed to the first word. "I expect you to show me respect, considering I am taking the time out of my day to enhance your knowledge. I will give you as much respect as you give me."

He waited to see how the class would react to his statement before he continued. "When I am speaking, I expect your attention to be directed to me, and me only. You don't speak unless you're instructed to. If either of you fail to do one or the other, you will automatically be terminated from the course."

I swallowed, looking down at my desk nervously. Why did I suddenly feel like I would be the example to get kicked out of the course?

Oh, right, because he always became infuriated with my attention span and my accidental slip of the tongue remarks.

My face began to grow hot at the thought of tongue, remembering _his_ tongue in my mouth only thirty-six hours ago.

I took a deep breath, and then released it silently. I could do this. He had not noticed me yet, so maybe I could keep my mouth shut for the rest of this year and he wouldn't even look in this direction.

 _Yeah, that's exactly what I'll do._

A sheet of paper was placed on my desk, catching me off guard.

When I looked up, I was relieved to see that the person in front of me had only given me a stack of papers. I looked at it questioningly until I noticed that it was a syllabus. I took one and handed the stack to the person behind me.

"I want you all to read over the syllabus, and then I will go over it with you all in details."

Swallowing again, I looked down at the sheets of papers in front of me.

In bold letters, there was his full name, his office, and the hours that he would be available.

It was a little surprising to see that he had his own office, considering he wasn't really a teacher here…right? He was a businessman with his own job, so it wouldn't make sense that he teaches too…unless it was a side job?

What would he need with a side job, though? He was already busy as ever, so how did he even find the time to teach too?

Suddenly, I understood a lot of the things that he had told me almost two weeks ago. He had said that he would be a lot busy now, so he wouldn't be able to spend much time with Xing anymore. And now, I understood what he meant. But, if he knew that this would make him busier than normal, why would he take on the job as a teacher too?

I groaned internally, confused as ever about him now. I wanted to ask him questions, which would only let him know that I was in his class. What should I do?

A loud chiming sound in my bag knocked me out of my thoughts, causing me to jump and grab my bag to turn it down.

I took the phone out, turning the volume completely down before looking at the notification.

I froze, eyes widening after reading the text.

 **'Pay attention.'**

I looked to the front of the classroom to see him looking down at something on the desk.

Did he know that I was here?

 _Of course, moron!_

Why else would he text that?

Immediately, I put my phone away after switching it off with a blush on my face.

"First warning, considering I did not touch on this topic. No phones out, and if you have them on you, they are to be turned completely off. If another incident happens like this again, I will dismiss you from the class early, and it will be your loss for any work that is missed."

Everyone in the classroom nodded, and gave him a 'yes sir.'

However, I remained quiet and began to read through the rest of the syllabus quickly, embarrassed that I had to be the first example of some form of chastisement.

He stood from the chair at the desk with the papers in his hand. "Assuming that you all have had enough time reading through everything, I'm going to continue on with the class."

I looked around to see everyone staring at him determined, fearfully even. Everyone took what he said serious, and were scared…

I paused, taking in the emotions that I felt right now. It was surprising to see that fear wasn't present as odd as it sounded.

Maybe surprised was the only thing I felt, considering I have known him for a month now. He wasn't as scary as he was the first time I met him. I had seen a side of him that neither of them had, so maybe that's why I couldn't feel scared of him right now.

"My office hours are after this class and they end at 4:30. It isn't up for debate, as I do have a job that I must go to after this one. Don't think that you can show up at my office at 4:29 because I will dismiss you," he said taciturnly.

I looked at him now, just to see if he was glaring at the class since that's what he usually did with me. He wasn't.

He just had a stern look on his face that made people not want to argue with him. From there on out, he read the course description to us, and then he explained everything that we would learn in the class, and the book that was required. He broke down the grading scale to us, which things counted for more, and the basics.

"Are there any questions, so far?" he asked.

A few of my classmates asked a question, no doubts trying to come off as overly interested in the class.

After he explained the learning outcome, he dismissed class early. When he dismissed us, he placed emphasis on it being a one-time thing, considering he didn't come up with the lesson for the first day of class.

I waited for everyone to stand before I did so he couldn't see me.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo called, making me stand taut from my ducking position.

I turned to her and forced a smile on my face. "Yes?"

She chuckled, giving me a strange look. "What are you doing?" she asked.

My cheeks warmed, eyes looking around me nervously as I tried to come up with something to tell her.

"Uh…I don't want Mr. Li to notice me after my whole embarrassing accident with the phone," I said nervously.

Tomoyo shook her head with a smile on her face. "You're being silly, Sakura. He probably doesn't even know that it was your phone that went off."

 _Oh, but he does since he is the one who texted me!_

My tight, forced smile widened as I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe not, but can we just get out of here?" I asked, grabbing her arm to rush us to the area where everyone else was.

Just when the door was right in front of us, I heard him clear his throat from across the room, stopping me.

"Kinomoto."

I closed my eyes, praying to any and everything out there that I had only imagined his voice calling my name.

"Kinomoto," he called in a sterner tone.

"I guess he knew after all," Tomoyo murmured to me with a giggle.

Squeezing my eyes shut tighter, I released my tight grip on her arm. "Just kill me now," I said to her.

She smiled. "I'll wait for you outside by the school gate. Good luck," she said, slipping from my side.

I took a deep breath, and then turned to him, hesitating for a moment to walk over to his desk.

He didn't seem to say anything to me for a long while until the last student finished buttering him up with compliments, and their excitement for the school year in this class.

Once the door automatically slid shut behind the student, I could feel his eyes on me, though I didn't look in his direction. I just stared at the papers on his desk, hoping they would come to life and save me from this torture.

"Sakura," he called softer than I expected him to.

I looked up, eyes wide from shock at his change in demeanor towards me. "W-what is it? If it's the phone situation, I'm sorry. I swear I didn't leave it on, on purpose, and I—" I stopped, cheeks growing hotter by the seconds with his eyes locked on me.

He didn't say anything, but just stared at me, so my eyes averted from his, down to his lips.

I looked away just as fast as my eyes landed there when an image of them on me flashed my mind.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see him stand from the chair. My breath caught in my throat, body freezing in shock.

"Did you…"

I took a deep, shaky breath, not expecting him to be this close to me. I didn't say anything, waiting for him to say what he needed to say.

"You haven't told anyone about…?" he trailed off.

My mouth opened, ready to speak, but nothing came out.

"Living with me. Have you told anyone that you're under my care?" he asked.

I turned to him, shaking my head. "Of course not. You told me not t—"

"Good," he interrupted as his eyes dropped down to something on my face.

I swallowed, throwing my hands behind my back nervously to hide their fidgeting. "Uh…can I…" I stopped, realizing what I was about to ask.

I recall myself saying that I wouldn't treat him like my guardian, so I planned to stick by that.

"A couple of friends wanted to hang out today, so…" I trailed off awkwardly.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding his head. "Okay."

I blinked once, and then stared at him with squinted eyes. Was he being serious?

"Xing gets out at six, and Kenta will bring him home, so I need you to be home before then," he said.

I glanced at the clock on his desk to see that it was 3:02. Looking at him, I nodded. "O-okay."

"Who are they?" he asked suddenly, looking at me serious.

My brows scrunched together in confusion at the question. "What do you mean?"

"These friends you're associating yourself with."

I wanted to question why he wanted to know, but I didn't think of it as a problem.

"The same ones I was telling you about two weeks ago," I said.

He raised a brow. "And they are? Are they in this class?"

I nodded. "It's Tomoyo, Naoko, Rika, and Chiharu," I said, smiling. "That's all."

He nodded, moving closer to me.

This caused my body to stiffen at the sudden move and invasion of my privacy. I watched his hand move up to my hair, gently grabbing a few strands of it. "Okay," he said, leaning down.

My eyes widened, almost making me think that he would lean down to kiss me, but his lips met my hair. "Be careful," he whispered.

My eyes shot up to his that were staring at me intensely. My face felt like it could explode at any minute now. Nonetheless, I nodded slowly.

He released my hair, and moved away from me.

I let out the deep breath that I had been holding. "I-I'll see you later?" I asked, eyes remaining locked with his.

He looked away, face appearing deep in thought. "No. I won't be back until late tonight."

"Oh."

He reached his hand out towards me. "The phone. Let me see it," he said, rather than asking.

"Oh," I said, reaching into the bag to grab it out. I handed it to him.

He turned it on and pressed a few things on the screen. I was tempted to lean over and look at what he was doing, but knew better than to. Besides, it wasn't worth souring his mood.

"You keep it turned off in my class," he demanded sternly. "But, keep it turned on when I'm not around." He handed it back to me.

I took it at a loss for words to tell him. In the end, I just nodded.

"You can leave," he said.

I took a deep breath and pulled the bag to me tightly, and then nodded. "Yes, sir— I mean, Syaoran," I said, scrambling out of the classroom.

It could have just been my imagination, but I thought I heard him chuckle after closing the door behind me.

* * *

"Really?!" Chiharu exclaimed.

She had brown hair that was pushed back into two low pony tails with light brown eyes. I had met her in Elementary School too when I first moved to Tokyo with Touya.

I grinned, nodding my head. "Yes. It was so much fun! He bought us tickets so we didn't have to wait in those long lines too," I said.

"You're really lucky, Sakura. I haven't even been out of the country before," Naoko said in awe.

Naoko had short, brown hair with brown eyes. I met her in Elementary school too, and she loved to tell stories that creeped us all out.

Rika nodded. "I didn't even know that you had a rich uncle!"

Rika had short dark, chocolate hair that normally curled around her face with brown eyes.

I laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of my head nervously. "I didn't either…" I murmured, looking away.

"Tell them about the cousin you were talking about, Sakura. He sounds adorable, guys. I heard him over the phone the yesterday," Tomoyo said excited.

I smiled, thinking about Xing. He had run in my room when I was on the phone with Tomoyo yesterday and talked about everything he and his dad did on Saturday.

I couldn't come up with anything, so I just ended up telling Tomoyo that he was my cousin.

 _When had I become such a good liar?_

"You have a cousin!?" Chiharu exclaimed, dropping her spoon of ice-cream.

"Yeah. He's a handful, but I love him already," I said truthfully. "He gets out at six, so I have to be back before then."

I could barely wait to get home to see him now. He would probably tell me everything about his first day of school, and I could barely wait to hear him.

"You babysit?" Naoko asked.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Sometimes. My uncle's busy a lot since he owns his own businesses," I said. How was I getting good at this lying thing?

"Speaking of people and businesses, what do you guys think about Mr. Li?" Tomoyo asked, grinning.

"He's hot," Naoko said, smiling.

My cheeks warmed at the compliment for him. _Perhaps everyone thinks he's attractive…_

"Agreed. He seems like an asshole, though," Chiharu said, taking a scoop of her chocolate ice-cream to eat.

I smiled, nodding my head. "He does give off that vibe," I said, hoping I sounded convincing enough. I didn't need them to suspect anything right now, especially after he stressed enough to tell no one.

"Well, maybe he's only coming off like that so no one takes advantage of him," Tomoyo said, smiling.

"That could be true. Terada-sensei was very kind, though, and no one took advantage of him," Rika said with a blush.

I smiled at her, knowingly. She had a crush on him when we were younger, and even went as far to confess to him.

He had let her down so nicely that it seemed like he gave her the slightest bit of hope that they would be together one day.

Chiharu chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I guess that just leaves him in the category as an asshole," she said.

I smiled. "That sounds a little rude," I said in a playful tone.

"How was it, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked.

"How was what?" I asked, confused.

"What did he say about your phone going off in class?" Tomoyo asked.

"Oh!" I said, blushing in embarrassment. "Uhh..."

"Did you get punished with that ruler he had?" Chiharu asked in a mischievous tone.

My cheeks burned even more at that question. " _Chiharu_!" I exclaimed, embarrassed out of my mind.

Everyone laughed at my reaction, to my disappointment.

How could they think this is funny?

"Well, did he?" Naoko asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

I bit my lips nervously before releasing it. "No! I can't believe you guys would even ask me that," I said shyly.

"I don't know. He gives off the whole dominating vibe for some reason," Chiharu said, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's true. I mean, did you hear the things he told us? And the _tone_ he used?" Naoko asked exasperatedly.

"Guys! Rika, do you hear this right now?" I asked, turning to the only other shy person in the group.

She giggled, shaking her dark brown hair comically. "I know it's embarrassing to say and think, but they have a point," she said softly.

I didn't want to think about Syaoran in situations like _that_ , so I changed the subject. "Anyway, he only warned me not to let it happen again," I said, cheeks warming a bit.

"Are you sure, Sakura? I mean, you were gone for quite a while for him _just_ to say that," Tomoyo said, smiling at me mischievously.

"Tomoyo!" I whined, burying my face in my hand, embarrassed.

Why were they doing this to me? I had to go back to his home and live with him for the next couple of months. Certainly, I didn't need them to keep giving me scenes to imagine with him.

Everyone burst out laughing and continued their teasing and taunting for the rest of our time at the ice cream shop.

Once we finished there, we went to the mall and walked around a bit and bought a few things from the stores.

As soon as 5:30 hit, I decided to call it a day so I could get back in enough time before Xing did. They all walked me back to the train station, and then bid me goodbye once I got on.

When I sat down in the train, I looked out the window with a grin on my face. I could barely contain this bubbling happiness in the bottom of my stomach at the thoughts of Xing being home.

I paused, realizing my thoughts. When had their house become my home?

Pushing the thought to the side, I reveled in the feeling of excitement to see him.

As soon as I got off the train, I rode the bus to the nearest stop to the house. I almost ran the rest of the way home when I saw Kenta's car parked on the side walk.

"Sakura!" Xing exclaimed, running to me half way to give me a 'bear' hug with his little arms.

I held onto him a little tightly, picking him up so I could walk us back to the house. Kenta was outside of the car with a warm smile on his face.

"Hey, Kenta-san," I said, smiling at him.

"Did you walk home?" he asked, looking at me a little worried.

I shook my head. "Of course not. I rode the train, and then the bus," I explained.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded his head. "How was school for you?" he asked.

"It was great. It's the first day, so I don't know how the outcome of the year will be. I'm going to say that it's going to be great though," I said.

He chuckled, nodding his head. "I'm glad you're positive about it," he said kindly.

Xing unburied his face from my neck and looked me in the face. "I missed you so much!" he yelled in my face.

I giggled, ruffling his hair before I sat him down on his feet.

He held on to me tightly. "No! I don't want you to put me down yet," he whined.

"Come on, Xing. We have to go inside," I said, prying his little arms away.

"Aww…" he said disappointed.

I ruffled his hair again and the pout left his face with a giggle.

He grabbed my hand, holding on to it tightly. "I have so much to tell you! I told Ken-kun _everything_ , didn't I?" Xing said, turning to Kenta.

He chuckled, nodding his head. "You sure did, buddy."

"Would you like to come inside?" I asked Kenta.

He smiled at me kindly. "I would be more than happy to, but I have to get back to the office to give some paperwork to Xiao Lang."

"Oh…" I said a little disappointed. "Alright. Maybe next time then."

He nodded and ruffled Xing's hair before he bid us goodbye.

I reached into my bag, grabbing out the key that Syaoran had given me yesterday before they left.

Once we settled into the house, Xing told me everything he did at school, from his arrival to his departure.

"So, you made a new friend?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him as we cuddled on the couch.

"I made lots of friends! There's Amai, Tenshi, Sora, and…" He stopped, looking deep in thought. "I think that's all, but they're my bestest friends in the whole world! They played with me all day on the playground, we shared our things, and we, we, we—"

"Xing, breathe," I said, rubbing his back when I noticed his face turning pale from the lack of oxygen.

He took a deep breath and then exhaled it. He giggled. "It was just so awesome! I can't wait to go back!" he exclaimed.

I giggled, ruffling his hair. "I'm sure you can't. You want to tell me what you learned today?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Well, we learned some of the alphabets, but I already knew them, so I got a star! Isn't that awesome!?" he exclaimed, holding on to me tighter.

"Yes, it is! I'm so proud of you," I said excited for him.

"Do you think Daddy will be proud too when I tell him?" he asked, grinning at me.

My smile softened, and I nodded my head. "I know he will," I said softly.

"Maybe I can tell him when he gets home!"

"I don't know, Xing. You'll have to go to bed early since you have school tomorrow," I said, hoping to shift the conversation away from his dad.

"But, Daddy would want to hear about my day too," he said, smiling.

"He would, but he would also want you to get your rest so you can have another great day tomorrow," I said encouragingly.

His smile faltered for a minute before a sad smile formed on his lips. "That's true…maybe I can tell him in the morning when he takes me to school?" he said questioningly.

I kissed his cheek. "Of course. He's just as excited to hear about it as you are about telling him," I said.

His smile turned into a grin and he nodded his head. "You're right!"

His stomach grumbled, catching us both off guard. He blushed, looking down sheepishly. "I guess I'm hungry, huh?"

I ruffled his already disheveled hair again, releasing him. "Yes, you are. How about we go and warm up the food Ms. Hana cooked and feed our stomachs? I'm hungry too," I said.

He nodded and hopped off the couch, running to the kitchen.

I giggled, following him to warm the food up.

Once everything was done, we ate dinner, talking nonstop about any and everything his little mind could come up with. This was the happiest I had ever seen him, considering how sad he had been over the last few weeks.

Seeing him this happy made me happy, and relieved that he could look past the depressing things in his life to see the happiness in it. Though he couldn't see his dad as much as he would want to, he still remained happy.

It was almost inspirational, even though he was only a kid. Kids could find happiness in everything, no matter the situation. It wasn't really a surprise, but he still made me feel inspired to be happy, or look for the positive in every situation.

I heard my phone ringing loudly in the living room, so I ran to it, grabbing the phone out of my bag. I looked at the caller id, and my heart began to race at who it was.

I swiped it across. "H-hello?" I answered nervously.

He let out an exasperated sigh. _"Do you not know the purpose of a phone?"_ he asked irritated in the phone.

I frowned, brows scrunching together in confusion. _What has his panties in a knot?_

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused.

 _"I sent you a text earlier, asking if you got home,"_ he said, clearly annoyed.

I pulled the phone back from my ear to see something on the top of the notification bar.

"I'm sorry…I've been with Xing since I got home," I said sheepishly.

He sighed again, still sounding annoyed. _"I expect you to answer me when I contact you in any kind of way,"_ he said.

My frown deepened, irritation growing towards him because of his attitude. It wasn't like I ignored him on purpose, so I didn't understand why he was letting himself get all worked up about this.

"Well, I'm sorry, okay? I'm home if that makes you feel any better," I said in a tone similar to his.

 _"Excuse me?"_ He sounded offended.

 _Great_.

"I'm sorry…I really didn't ignore you on purpose," I said in a calmer tone.

 _"I hope that it doesn't happen again,"_ he said in a dangerously low tone.

I was tempted to ask, 'and if it does?' But I caught myself, remembering the conversation between Chiharu and the others today.

I pushed that thought to the back of my head too, not wanting to test him with that.

"Sakura!" Xing yelled from the kitchen.

I sighed. "I have to go."

 _"Was that Xing?"_ he asked, tone changing suddenly to a softer one.

I swallowed. "Yes. We were eating dinner before you called," I said.

 _"Are you guys finished?"_

"Yes, but—"

 _"Could you give the phone to him?"_ he asked.

I smiled, nodding my head. "Of course. Give me a minute," I said, already rushing to the kitchen where he was.

Xing looked at me curiously as I handed him the phone. "It's your dad," I said.

He gasped dramatically, almost snatching the phone out of my hand. "Daddy?" he called, placing the phone against his ear.

A wide smile spread across his face, warming my heart at the sight. I even forgot about the mini argument that I had with Syaoran seconds ago. There was no way that anyone could ever make my day bad when Xing was involved.

I don't know how long they talked on the phone, but it had to have been an hour.

Xing yawned, laying his head on my shoulders as we watched the tv after the phone call. "I'm getting tired, Sakura," he said tiredly.

I glanced at the clock to see that it was eight o' clock. "How about we take you a bath, read a bed time story, and put you down for bed?" I suggested.

He smiled, nodding his head. "Daddy isn't going to come home tonight, so can I sleep with you?" he asked shyly.

"Of course. Come on," I said, picking him up to bring him to the bathroom.

I ran water, and then bathed him as soon as the water was finished. Once I tucked him into bed, I read a story to him. Before I had even finished the book, he was already asleep, cuddling up to me.

Looking down at him, I smiled, caressing his hair gently. It was good that he had a good day, today. Also, I did too. Though it was shocking to see who the new teacher was, everything else was great.

I saw all my friends, and the semester didn't seem like it would be hard. The only class I was really worried about is math, but that's because I had never been good at it. I didn't want to worry about it, though.

I closed my eyes with my arms wrapped around Xing, hoping I could fall asleep with him, but I couldn't.

For some reason, I wanted to wait for Syaoran to get home so I could see him, only if it would be for a little while. I didn't know if it would be a good idea, though. He had already seemed a little upset with me about my lack of response to his texts earlier.

Maybe I could apologize and make him understand that it wasn't intentional.

 _Yeah, that's what I could do._

I didn't know how long I lied in this bed before I heard the front door opening. Gently, I pried his little hands from my body with much struggle and left the room. I left the door cracked open a little for him in case he woke up at any time. Then, I headed straight for the kitchen, already knowing that's where he would be.

And there he was, facing the microwave to warm his food up.

Clearing my throat to get his attention, he jumped, turning to me.

I swallowed, clasping my hands together behind my back. "Hi," I said quietly.

He sighed, turning back to the microwave to stare at his food. "What are you doing awake?" he asked coldly.

I frowned, feeling a little offended by his tone. Was he so angry with the assumption that I ignored him on purpose?

"I wanted to see you," I said in a low voice.

"Why?" he asked, raising his voice a little at me.

"Because, I—"

"It doesn't matter. Just, go get some rest," he said.

"Did I do something?" I asked, walking further in the kitchen.

I was testing my luck, I could admit, but I didn't want us to end on bad terms tonight. It would be awkward to see him at school tomorrow.

He didn't say anything for a long while, rising the tension in the room.

"Syao—"

"Just stop talking, okay?" he said harshly.

I could feel the back of my eyes beginning to burn with tears. They were angry tears.

"If this is about our earlier conversation on the phone, I'm sorry. I swear I didn't ignore you on purpose," I said, ignoring his demand about me not talking.

He sighed, opening the microwave to grab his plate out of it. "Goodnight, Sakura," he dismissed, walking over to the table to sit his plate on it. He sat in the chair in front of it.

Stubbornly, I walked further in the kitchen, sitting in the chair beside him.

His breath caught in his throat, eyes looking at me. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

He didn't move away, though.

"I'm not leaving or going to sleep until you tell me what I did that has you upset," I said, folding my arms stubbornly. _What has gotten into me?_

He sighed, picking his chopsticks up to eat his food, rudely ignoring me.

I wanted to groan and pull my hair out in frustration. Why did he keep doing this? Was it because we kissed?

"Is this about the kiss?" I asked without thinking twice about it. "Because if it is, it was your idea. You suggested the kiss, so you can't be upset with me about it."

He froze, turning in my direction, glaring at me. Hard.

 _Great_.

"Why must you bring up such troubling issues?" he asked coldly, glaring at me.

I frowned. "Fine. Forget you and your moody behaviors," I said, standing up from the table abruptly.

On my way up, I accidentally knocked his plate over, along with the chair I was sitting in, creating a mess, and loud noise that could possibly wake Xing. I gasped, turning to him with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't do it on purpose, and I'm sorry for—"

I stopped when I heard him trying to stifle a laugh. My cheeks grew hot at my attempt to storm out the kitchen, which was obviously a fail. And now he was trying not to laugh at me.

 _Double great._

I turned to leave to end my own misery, but was surprised to feel a tight grip on my wrist. I looked down at the hand to see that it was Syaoran's. "You didn't do anything," he said softly.

And then he let me go.

Still flustered and embarrassed by my dramatic behavior seconds ago, I walked out of the kitchen after mummuring a soft good night to him.

* * *

 **I tried to get this chapter out last night, but it was so late that I K.O'ed while editing it lol.**

 **Anyway, thanks a bunch for the reviews, follows, and favorites! The next chapter's going to be in Syaoran's pov :P**

 **Ja ne!**


	15. Resisting Isn't Always Easy

**"Resisting Isn't Always Easy"**

* * *

Wrong. That's exactly what I was, with a capital 'W.'

How could I know that it was wrong to look at her like _that_ and continue to look at her; that it was wrong to even _think_ of her?

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

Why was I doing this to myself? No, why was I letting _her_ do this to me? Why couldn't I stop thinking about her?

Oh, yeah, she was here, in my home twenty-four-seven, flaunting her cheerful atmosphere around, leaving me with no choice **but** to think about her.

But, why was it so hard? Why could I not stop thinking about her eyes? Her cute, little button nose? The little creases that would form on her head when she looked at me surprised? Her laugh, her smile?

Her smile…how could I ever forget about those lips? The lips that had been against mine a few days ago.

Unconsciously, my hand began to move up to my lips, but I stopped myself before it could. With the trembling hand, I dropped it to my pants, unbuckling them.

Without much thinking, I bit my lip lightly, imagining her teeth doing it as I unzipped my pants.

Her lips had been so soft…so sweet, that I couldn't stop myself from wondering how good she taste in other places besides her lips. Her skin had been so soft underneath my fingers…

I stepped in the shower, enjoying the warm water cascading down on my skin immediately. I grasped my aching erection tightly and began to pump slowly, in no time.

I could only imagine how her skin would taste against my tongue…

My hand started pumping faster at that thought as the hot water added to the desire in my body.

 _Hot…_

 _Sakura…_

 _Water…_

 _Against her skin._

I stroked faster as my palms tightened around my manhood.

She'd be so tight. _So_ fucking tight that I might not last long her first time.

 _What?_

Her first time with me…

A time in this shower when I could pump into her hard and fast…

At school…

 _Shit…_

My stomach muscles tightened, feeling my release come close. _So_ close.

Just when an image of her in that uniform sprawled out on top of my desk painted itself in my head, I came harder than I ever had before.

My panting breaths came out louder, and my heart felt like it could come out of my chest from the rapid beating. It was only when the water began to turn cold that I noticed how long I had been in the shower.

Quickly, I showered and hopped out. I dried off and put on something to wear for bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I felt myself becoming wide awake, thinking about **her** again.

 _Great_.

I sighed, realizing my new tactic not working this time, which only pissed me off. Thinking about her while rubbing myself off didn't work. What the hell was I to do now? I'd normally do this to get rid of the tension in my body and fall straight to sleep, but it didn't work this time.

Was it because of my earlier demeanor towards her? I hadn't meant to be so mean and cold, but I…

I just felt so disgusted with myself. I _still_ feel disgusted with myself. I was just like those assholes at the firm, talking and thinking about women like that.

They had been so spot-on. The description they had of Sakura had been so damn right. And that's what made me feel disgusted with myself.

Young, cheerful, innocent, _and_ beautiful with her alluring behavior.

But, they lost me when they said they're the freaks in the bedroom; that they were wild and sexy.

That's not how Sakura was. She hadn't even kissed anyone until my lips tainted hers. She had said that she was trying to save her first for the man she loved, and I had taken that from her. **I** was the one who took her first kiss, so there was no way that she could be that type of girl.

I closed my eyes tightly, hoping the image would disappear of her on top, riding me.

She wasn't like that. Sakura would never do anything like that, so, they were wrong. They had it all wrong at that bar, talking about women like that.

Even so, how could they strike these terrible thoughts to spiral out of control in my head? How could they suggest getting a young girl to fulfil my needs?

My fists clenched under my head, remembering one of them saying that I might already have one or two. How could they just talk about women as if they were objects? Like they weren't human?

And then, it hit me.

I had been doing the same thing, thinking about her like that in my fantasies. I didn't want to do that, so I decided to push her away, or distance myself from her a little. I figured it would do me some justice. It was just so damn hard to resist the thoughts of wanting to take her, to have her to myself. It was _frustrating_ how hard it was to resist her, even though she hadn't done anything.

Seeing her in my classroom triggered something in me. I mean, I knew that she would be in my class because I saw her name on the roll sheet. I just didn't know how to feel, knowing that we were in the same place, at the same time with so many people around us.

I couldn't help but fear that we might be found out sooner than normal, and articles would surely come falling from the sky. Then, the press would be on my case again, asking about my personal life, Xing's personal life, and I couldn't have that.

I didn't need the media to know about my personal life. I could tell them all they want about my businesses, new sells that would go out, what I had planned for the corporation— _anything_ , but my personal life, which included Xing.

 _God_ …

I really needed to reiterate my point about telling no one about our arrangement.

I sighed, closing my eyes to get some sleep, but all the thoughts kept flying through my head, bothering me. Us being found out, Sakura in my fantasies, and the guys being semi-right about me having a young girl under a spell.

I sighed for the umpteenth time, closing my eyes tightly, hoping that it would make me fall asleep.

It didn't.

* * *

The alarm clock ringing in my ear served no real purpose. I had already been awake for a good thirty-minutes now, but I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed.

Something had to be wrong with me lately. I never did anything like this, nor had I felt this way before Sakura got here. Since she arrived, I had been feeling emotionally and physically drained.

Sighing, I still sat up from the bed and climbed out. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth before I slipped on my workout attire. I left the house for a quick run and workout at the gym.

As usual, I finished in two hours and headed back to the house, hoping that Sakura would be awake. I still wanted to talk to her about this arrangement. Maybe I'd apologize too. My demeanor towards her was unnecessary last night. She hadn't done anything to deserve the cold-shoulder—besides being so damn attractive and hard to resist.

I sighed, shaking my head from the thoughts. I needed to get myself together before seeing her. I didn't want to try anything else with her that could get me in trouble. I had been the source of these inner turmoil, so she didn't need to be the one to get the backlash for them.

I took a quick shower and dressed half-way for work.

After finishing, I headed to the kitchen. Sakura should be awake by now. I hadn't seen the note on the table when I got in either, so she still had to be here. And sure enough, I heard her room door closing.

My heart began to beat faster in my chest, anticipating her arrival. Probably in that damn skirt that made my mind imagine too many things it didn't need to. Like, my hands sliding under it to touch her, to feel how soft her skin is; to pull that skirt up, and—

"Syaoran?" she called, interrupting my thoughts.

 _When did I start thinking this way?_

I turned to her and she began to fidget nervously under my gaze. "G-good morning," she said nervously.

My eyes raked over her subtly before I looked in her emerald eyes. "Morning," I said with a slight nod.

"I was just about to leave so I can catch the bus," she said, awkwardly pointing at the kitchen door.

"The bus?" I questioned, caught off guard by that information.

She held the straps of her bag tightly and then nodded. "Yeah, the one down the street from here. I have to ride it to get to the train—"

"Train?" I asked incredulously.

"Uh…yes, sir," she said in a small voice.

I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. "Oh, no. You're not riding any of that anymore," I said in a finalizing tone.

I didn't think about how she had gotten to school yesterday, but the bus? **And** the train? Did she not know about the creeps riding those things?

My insides churned, thinking about another person touching her.

"No," I said, while shaking my head.

A frown tugged at her lips. "Why not? The bus and train are both reliable sources to get around—"

" **No**. Do you know the kind of disturbing acts committed on those sources?" More images of creepy old men touching her disturbed my mind. "God, no, Sakura. It's absurd that you would even think to go against me with this. You aren't using those sources as your transportation anymore."

She huffed, appearing annoyed. "Just because you can afford a vehicle doesn't give you the right to talk down on others who rely on these sources," she said in an agitated tone. Was it the tone I used that had her offended?

Taken aback by her tone, I walked towards her, brows scrunched together in confusion. "Excuse me?" I asked, raising a brow at her, offended. _Very_ offended.

Her mouth opened slightly, causing my eyes to remain on them for a moment before they shifted back up to hers.

"I…It's not fair for you to chastise me for using a reliable source of transportation. I didn't have a choice," she said, nervously moving back.

Seeing her move away from me like that made me move towards her slowly. "You're not using those sources anymore when you have me," I said, voice almost sounding dark.

"I—!"

"I take Xing to school every day. I could drop you off too," I said, cornering her against the wall by the door.

 _What the hell am I trying to do?_

"Th-that's not necessary."

I sighed loudly, annoyed with her stubborn behavior. "Sakura," I called sternly.

She stiffened, looking up at me shyly. "What? This wasn't on the contract. And you never said that I have to obey everything you tell me to do," she said quietly.

"This is for your safety. Why can't you just see that?" I asked, while glaring at her.

Her eyes widened, and mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out.

When my eyes remained on her lips for a few seconds, the thoughts of pushing her away and not getting myself into trouble disappeared.

I moved closer to her body.

"I—"

I closed the gap between our lips, pressing my lips to hers gently. I didn't want to push it because I didn't know if she wanted this or not. I wanted to leave the option open for her to pull away if she didn't feel comfortable with this.

She didn't respond for a second or two before her lips began to move against mine expertly.

 _Fuck…_

Knowing that she wanted this just as much as I did, encouraged me to lick her lips, asking for entrance.

When her mouth opened, my tongue slipped past her lips and I brought my hands behind her neck, pulling her face closer to mine.

The more our tongues rubbed against each other's, the more my mind rationalized how much this was better than my fantasies. Though not as explicit, the feel of her soft lips caressing mine was enough; the way her soft tongue would caress mine was enough. And, it didn't feel like I was using her as an object. She felt real…

My body pushed hers against the wall harder as my lips became more demanding, kissing her harder. I was finally succumbing to the desires that had built up for so long. I hadn't had the physical touch of a woman for so long…

I wanted to do so much more to her, in so many ways. But, how? How could I explain myself to her this time? How could I explain this desire for her without feeling like a creepy, old man prying on young girls?

I've never felt odd or insecure about my age, but now…

Something gripped the front of my shirt tightly, stopping my lips from deliciously devouring hers.

I pulled back, staring down at her flushed face as she panted softly. I dropped my hands down to her waist, pulling her body flush against mine so she could feel how much I wanted her.

When I leaned down to rest my forehead against hers, she flinched away for a moment, but I ignored it and stared in her eyes. "You're not taking the bus," I said in a finalizing tone again, but much sterner this time.

She closed her mouth and murmured, "Yes, sir."

I didn't let her go, not wanting to feel the loss of her body yet. "I really need you to keep quiet about this arrangement," I reminded her. "You can't say a word to any of your friends about it either."

For a moment, she looked guilty as if she already had, causing fear to rise in me. "You haven't told anyone already, have you?" I asked tightly.

She frowned, releasing her tight grip on my, now wrinkled, shirt. "I said that I wouldn't…" she said softly. Her eyes always gave away her dishonesty.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Sakura," I called when her eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"Yes, sir?" she asked, looking up at me immediately.

I held back a smile at her response. "You don't have to address me like that here," I said.

A blush spread across her face and she nodded. "Y-yes, sir—l mean, Syaoran," she stumbled over her words.

A small smile tugged at my lips and I leaned down to kiss her lips again.

Before I could, she turned her head away. "U-uh…we should wake Xing, or maybe he's already awake or—"

Feeling a bit rejected, I released her body, moving away from her. "Okay."

 _What the hell am I thinking?_

I started to walk out of the kitchen until I felt her grab the sleeve of my shirt, stopping me.

"Was everything alright last night?" she asked hesitantly.

At the mention of last night, my eyes softened. "I'm sorry," I said. "That was very rude of me. I just had a lot on my mind and didn't want to be bothered."

"I see. I'm sorry, but I didn't intentionally do it. I just…I wanted to see and talk to you," she said, hands fidgeting with one another.

I turned towards her, staring in her eyes, probably heatedly—I don't know. "Why?" I asked.

She swallowed. "Because…at school…um…"

 _What the hell is she trying to say?_

"You seemed upset with me because I didn't answer your texts," she finished.

At the mention of her ignoring me, I mentally groaned. That had upset me. _Really_ upset me. I'd given her the phone for a reason, so why couldn't she just use it?

A simple, 'I'm home safe,' would have done her some justice. But, no, I had to find out from Kenta because she insisted on not wanting to tell me anything about her.

"I hope it doesn't happen again," I said.

"It won't. I didn't intentionally ignore you, though," she said quickly.

I nodded, believing her. "Okay."

"Uh…are you getting off late tonight too?" she asked shyly.

For some reason, I wanted to tell her no, that I would be home early today to spend time with him— _them_. But, I knew I couldn't.

"Yes. Don't wait up for me," I said.

She frowned. "Okay…"

I sighed, feeling an unpleasant stir rise in my chest at that look. I shook my head, getting rid of the thoughts of telling her I could try. "I'm going to get Xing ready. I have to stop by a university this morning, so—"

"Did you know that I'd be in your class?" she asked.

I raised a brow. "Yes," I answered honestly.

"How? I thought you were—"

"Daddy? Sakura?"

Automatically, I stepped back from her, even though we weren't in each other's personal space anymore. I turned to the direction of the voice and stooped down to his height.

He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my neck as he rested between my legs. "I was wondering when you would come to wake me," he said quietly.

He turned to Sakura with a sleepy smile on his face. "And Sakura's still here?" he asked, voice rising a little in excitement. "I thought you said that she said that you said that she wouldn't ride with us," he said.

I smiled a little, wondering how he came up with those words so fluently. I ruffled his hair, making him pout as usual. "She's going to ride with us from now on and she'll ride back here with you and Kenta after school," I said, smiling at him.

He gasped dramatically. "Really?"

I nodded, hugging him gently. Even though I didn't like the idea of him liking Sakura more than me, I still wanted him to be happy. "Of course."

"What about…Daddy?"

"I'll ride with you this morning."

"But, not after school to hear about my awesome day?" he asked quietly,

"We can talk on the phone about your day, if Sakura's fine with that," I said, looking up at her for confirmation.

But like the pervert I was becoming, I almost looked under her skirt, wanting to get a glimpse of the color of panties she had on.

She shifted uncomfortably but nodded her head confidently. "Of course!" she said, staring at Xing.

Had she seen me looking?

"See? Nothing to worry about because I'll hear all about your day. Now, could we go and get you ready?" I asked.

"Yes! I'm so excited to see my new friends again!" he said, wide awake now.

I smiled, and then sent Sakura a nod before we left out of the kitchen with him talking about his new friends.

* * *

"Be good, okay?" I said, giving Xing one last hug before he would join the other kids.

He nodded with a huge grin on his face. "I love you, Daddy," he leaned over to whisper in my ear as he held me tightly.

I smiled, holding on to him a little tightly, but not enough to crush him. "I love you too."

I released him and stood up, turning to the teacher who had a blush on her cheeks. "If there's anything that he needs, just call my office," I said professionally.

She nodded and smiled. "Alright." She turned to Xing. "We're mightily excited for it to be so early in the morning," she said, grabbing his hand so they could walk inside the classroom. Xing was quick to respond to her, as usual.

I watched them get inside safely before I sighed and walked back to my car. When I settled inside, I turned to Sakura, seeing her stare out the window, looking very deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" I asked, cranking the car after sensing her mood.

She turned to me with a blush on her face. "N-nothing," she stuttered.

I raised a brow at her, curious how she could lie with such ease, but terrible at keeping it going. "Are you sure? What are you thinking about?" I asked, staring at her intensely, hoping she would cave.

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

"Tell me," I pressed.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked suddenly.

I knew this was coming…

Clearing my throat, I said, "I wanted to."

I was always bold, straightforward, and honest with people, so why should I change that with her?

"Why?"

"Because I like it."

"O-oh… _why_?"

I sighed, feeling slightly annoyed with that question. It was like when kids would keep asking question after question about an answer that was never-ending.

"Because I'm attracted to you. Is that a problem?" I asked. I needed confirmation from her, so it didn't seem like I was pressuring her into this.

She _always_ kissed back when I would initiate it, so why did I need to worry that she would feel threatened by my honesty? It was a natural answer because I was. Why else would I kiss her?

"Oh…I like it too," she said shyly, attempting to keep her eyes away from mine.

Wanting to increase her emotions more, I said, "Look at me." I enjoyed seeing her squirm under my gaze.

She looked at me shyly, biting her lip lightly.

I held back a groan at the sight. Her face was flushed, teeth gnawing at the lips that I wanted to take between my mouth again.

 _Damn it…_

"How about we do it more often, then?" I asked, not even bothering to reason why the hell I was doing this.

"I…I don't know," she said uncertainly.

"Do you want to?" I asked. "I know you do."

"I-I do, but…" she trailed off, fidgeting with her hands again nervously.

Without thinking, I reached over to grab her fidgeting hands. "We don't have to," I said softly. "It was just a suggestion."

When her eyes widened and looked at me, a small smile tugged at my lips and I removed my hands from hers.

She had been the one to suggest that I needed to loosen up a bit and have a little fun in life. So, I could start here by having "fun" with her. Besides, it was only kissing. Nothing more than that. Just kissing.

With a seventeen-year-old.

A high schooler.

A _girl_ , not woman.

 _Shit_.

Was I not normal anymore? I certainly didn't feel like it anymore. I never did, said, or asked things like this before she came around. And this sense of protection that I felt for her didn't feel normal anymore either. I didn't want anything bad to happen to her, nor did I want anyone doing anything to her, besides me…

It was easy to picture her giving me everything first. Oddly enough, it felt good to think about; to know that I could be her first.

I cringed at the weird stir in my chest at the thought and pulled out of Xing's school parking lot and headed to Tokyo High.

Sakura didn't say a word to me as I drove, so the ride was quiet and tense-filled, as usual.

When I pulled up to the school, I unlocked the door for her.

She turned to me. "Are you coming to school today?" she asked.

"Why would I not?" I asked.

"I don't know...I just thought..." She shook her head with a sigh. "Never mind. I'm just going to go. Thanks for the ride."

She opened the car door and grabbed her bag. She waved before walking off after shutting the door.

I released the breath I had been holding. I was confusing her, if it weren't obvious enough to her. It wasn't fair, but **I** was the confused one, so how could I help her understand what I couldn't?

I asked her to let me continue kissing her like that...

What the hell was I thinking? She was probably thinking that I'm some sort of perverted creep lusting after her...

But then again, I was. Not a creep, but lusting after her, yeah.

 _Damn it...damn it!_

Why was it so hard to control my hormones whenever she comes to mind?

Her appearance wasn't anything out of the ordinary...

Maybe her eyes were what had me infatuated with her. Maybe I was thinking too hard about this. Maybe thinking about her was the dumbest thing in the world. Or, maybe I shouldn't have listened to her when she told me that I should live a little fun back at the beach last weekend. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the guts to ask her something like that.

Sighing, I pressed on the gas, picking up speed, away from the school.

I didn't need to be thinking about her right now, but how? How could I not when she almost always occupied my mind these days? I couldn't help but begin to think this was becoming unhealthy.

I sighed, trying to erase that thought immediately.

Tokyo University was the only thing I needed to be focused on right now. After all, this was the university that decided to work with the school and my company.

I ended up donating a large sum of money from the company to pay the university, so I wanted this to work.

That wasn't a problem and it was something that would benefit my family name. At the end of the day, I would come out on top, just what's expected of me.

* * *

I arrived at Tokyo high a little early today, wanting to prepare myself for this.

Today was the real deal. The first day of school was always a breeze and the easiest way out. Reading off a sheet of paper about what I expected from students and what they should expect from me and the material was easy. All of that was easy, but today would be different.

I would be considered an official teacher who must teach a class about a subject I had more than enough knowledge on. It sounded easy, but I didn't know how to go about it, nor did I know how I should start anything.

This was my first time being a teacher, but everyone expected me to be great, just as I could be with everything else I did. But, how would I know? I never had a real teacher. Everything was done at home with a personal teacher. I never had the experience or feeling of going to an actual school with normal students until now. And I certainly didn't expect my first time to be in the front of a classroom.

I sighed, arranging the papers around on the desk. Everything was already tidied. I liked my work station to be neat but felt like everything was in a mess.

I inhaled a deep breath, and then exhaled it. I think this had been the first time I'd ever felt nervous about something.

 _Is that normal?_

The door slid open, revealing some of the students.

My nerves began to jump, but I held up the facade that everything was fine.

"Good morning, Li-sensei," one of them said, giggling like a normal schoolgirl.

I almost cringed at the stereotype I had just placed upon them. Sakura was a schoolgirl, but she wasn't giggly.

"Morning," I said briefly.

One of the girls walked up to my desk, looking down at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

For some reason, I felt relieved that I didn't encounter girls like this during my time of schooling at this age.

"How are you?" she asked, almost in a seductive voice while leaning down a bit. She was a child, so it didn't faze me one bit.

"Good."

"That's good. I was wondering if you like it here so far? I heard that it's your first time having the title as a teacher."

 _More like you read..._

"Yes."

I was glad when the doors slid open again, revealing more students, which forced this one to move on.

Unconsciously, my eyes looked for the head of auburn hair with a pair of emerald eyes. Disappointment washed over me when I didn't see her rushing in like all the other students had.

More than a handful of them came to the desk to talk about anything they could conjure up with. But, as usual, I gave short or one-worded responses.

 _Where the hell is that girl?_

As soon as the thought crossed my head, I heard her laughter along with a few others before it suddenly stopped as soon as she walked through the classroom doors.

I frowned, wondering what had been so funny before they had gotten here.

"Good morning, sensei," each of them, except Sakura, greeted me.

 _If she couldn't be less obvious..._

"Good morning," I said, nodding towards them.

I was tempted to speak to her directly and question if I had made her uncomfortable this morning with all that nonsense talking.

Instead, I just watched her and the other girls, whom I assumed were her friends, walk to their seats.

Once everyone settled down and the class began to go silent, I knew that it was my time.

I stood from the desk, clearing my throat to get rid of some of the tension in the room, but it didn't work.

 _Shit..._

"I'm not planning to make this a hard rest of the year for you all, so if we could all cooperate with one another, things should according to plan," I started off.

Everyone's attention was directly on me, making me feel superior than them all. I didn't like the feeling for once.

"First things first, I would like to see where you all are mentally, regarding the topics we will cover in this class."

No one said anything. Exactly what I wanted.

"I need everyone to take out a sheet of paper."

There was a lot of noise and movement going on as the students rummaged through their bags to get the sheet of paper out.

My eyes landed on Sakura, who was sitting in the back of the classroom, whispering something to the girl she had been with every time I saw her here.

Seeing her not pay attention to me caused me to feel annoyed for some reason. I didn't want to chastise or point her out for disregarding my demand to pay attention in class. It would just draw attention to me and her, and people would start to become suspicious. Or maybe I was thinking too hard about this?

My eyes shifted from her direction, only feeling myself become more annoyed with her.

"On the sheet of paper, I want you to write down words that you think of when you hear the word business. I want to see where you all are, so there is no right or wrong answer. This will count as your first assignment grade under participation," I said.

Everyone began to write on their sheet of paper, including Sakura.

She had a concentrating face on as her brows scrunched together, teeth chewing on her bottom lip as she wrote on her sheet of paper.

When realizing I was staring too long, I looked away to avoid getting aroused in front of the entire class. That would be awfully embarrassing.

What was she doing to me? She had to be doing this on purpose.

When I looked at her again, I knew that I needed to have some alone time with her. Not to corrupt her and her innocence, but to feel relaxed again.

I had never felt relaxed before, but she made it so easy to be. I didn't have to stress about anything, nor did I **think** about anything to stress over.

She made me feel like the me that never existed.

 _Only if it's for a little while..._

I sat down in the chair, waiting for the students to finish writing down the work. I reached over into my pocket, grabbing my phone.

This would be so cruel, but I didn't know any other excusable reason to find time with her.

I typed a quick message in my phone and sent it. This would certainly work.

It took approximately five seconds before her phone chimed, drawing the entire class's attention to her.

Her cheeks turned a bright red as she scrambled to grab the phone in her bag.

I stared at her, feeling a little thrilled at the rise I could get out of her.

"Out," I said, pointing to the door.

She looked up, eyes wide in shock. "W-what?" she stuttered.

"Get out of my class. You're dismissed for the day," I said in a strict tone.

"But, I—"

" **Out** ," I demanded, voice rising a bit.

Her face turned from hurt to anger quickly, and I had to stop myself from apologizing after seeing her reaction.

She brought this upon herself. I warned her about keeping her phone off in my class, so she asked for this.

"Go to the principal's office, and we will discuss what to do about your disrespectful behavior in my class after class ends," I said.

Her face turned to one of distraught before she huffed and grabbed her bag. She grabbed the piece of paper off her desk and walked to the front of the classroom.

She sighed exasperatedly, locking eyes with me briefly. But, I caught the look in her eyes. She was asking, 'what the hell my problem is.'

She placed the paper on the desk and walked out of the classroom.

As soon as the door closed, I turned to the other students. "I hope this issue doesn't occur with anyone else." I held her paper up, showing the class the paper.

I could see some of the students swallow nervously.

"She turned this in, but I'm not going to accept it." I balled the paper up, throwing it in the trashcan by the desk. "I am doing this out of the kindest of my heart for the better of you. I'm not receiving anything in return, so the least you could do is show respect. I'm serious about you all becoming responsible adults because you're going to have to learn. I said phones turned off or on silence in my class, so I expect that from you all. There will be consequences for your irresponsible actions, even in the real world. Is this understood?" I asked.

Everyone was quick to respond with a tight, "Yes, sir."

I felt a sense of pride rise in my demeanor, and the fear of teaching began to wash off.

"Pass your papers to the front of the class and give them to the person on the left," I instructed.

As everyone began to pass their papers to the front of the classroom, a huge weight was lifted off my chest.

With Sakura gone, it felt like I could do this.

I accepted the papers from the person on the left. I stacked them nice and neat on the desk before I turned back to the classroom.

"Today's topic will be on what a business is," I said. "Would anyone mind sharing a few things that they put down on their paper?"

When hands began flying up, I knew that this wouldn't be as hard as I thought it would.

* * *

The official first day was over, and very successful, if anyone asked me.

I covered all the material on the lesson plan, and all the students were following along.

Though stiff in their responses, they still participated and loosened up a bit overtime. There was always at least one person out of the bunch who commented, or asked questions about anything. It was great, but a little annoying.

Great because it showed their interest in the topic, but annoying because it slowed down the lesson and other students from learning more.

I sighed, shaking my head from the thoughts. I was headed to the office Kaho Mizuki had given me.

I insisted that it wasn't necessary, but she pressed on the issue that she wanted me to feel comfortable here by having my own personal space.

It's not like I would be here long. Only an hour and a half, or maybe an hour before the class started if I decided to come early.

It didn't matter, though. It would give me extra time away from the business world and possibly focus on other things, like Sakura.

I could feel my heart beat a little faster at the thought of her. That's where I was going right now; to see her.

She hadn't shown up to my classroom, nor was she in the principal's office like I instructed her to be. Mizuki informed me that she was waiting at my office door, so that's where I was going.

I already had my–

I halted in my tracks, seeing her **not** in front of my office door, but by another man's door, talking.

Looking at her face, I noticed a blush staining her cheeks as she gave him those shy, alluring looks she always gave me.

My eyes shifted from her direction, to the man in front of her who was laughing at something she said. He had gray hair and brown eyes behind the large circular glasses. He looked a little older than me and much more kind.

 _Is she attracted to him too? Or is this just her way of displaying her interests in guys?_

He looked too old for her, though. **Way** too old.

I walked over to the two calmly, not wanting to rise any suspicion.

"Kinomoto," I called.

She turned to me, eyes wide. "Sy—Li-sensei!" she squeaked.

The color of her cheeks turned a darker shade of red.

"I told you to be back in my classroom as soon as class ended," I said, glaring at her a little.

Why couldn't she just listen like a good girl and do as she was told?

"I'm sorry—I'll see you later, Yukito-san," she said quickly.

Her frantic behavior around the other man caused a disturbing feeling in me.

 _Is she interested in him?_ He didn't even look like he was into girls.

I looked at the man one last time, seeing a smile on his face that made my insides churn. Before I could comment on their interaction, I walked to my office door, expecting her to follow me.

Sure enough, I heard her footsteps behind me, anticipation rising in my chest.

For what?

I didn't know.

When I turned to her in my office, I saw her standing at the door, almost hesitating to stay in.

"Close the door," I said, looking down at her hand holding the knob tightly.

She released a shaky breath, closing the door behind her. She leaned against it, making me feel irritated with her.

"I told you that you had nothing to worry about around me," I said in an annoyed tone.

 _Why am I so annoyed?_

She frowned, walking further in the room so she could look me in the eyes. "Why would you embarrass me like that?" she asked, sounding offended.

Taken aback by her attitude, I raised a brow, staring at her like she lost her mind. "Excuse me?" I asked, sitting in the chair behind the desk.

"Y-you...you're the one who texted me, and then followed after to chastise me in front of everyone one. How dare—"

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" I asked, raising my voice over hers.

 _Has she lost her mind?_

She didn't say anything, clenching her jaw. She was angry. It was always easy to tell how she felt.

I still wasn't going to have the back-talking, though. "It sure as hell isn't me. Now I told you to keep your damn phone off in my class, yet you disobeyed me—"

"You're not my father," she said under her breath.

 _What the hell?_

Where was this attitude and behavior coming from?

Feeling offended by her actions, I hit the desk a little hard, receiving a jump and squeak from her.

She was getting comfortable too fast, talking back and raising her voice at me like that. Where the hell was this coming from?

"Sakura," I called in a stern tone.

She didn't say anything for a while, looking down at the desk.

 _The desk..._

 _The desk..._

 _The desk..._

An image of her sprawled out on the desk naked, painted itself in my head. Exactly what I had been trying **not** to think about.

 _Shit..._

"Look at me," I said.

She continued to stare at the desk, rebelling on purpose now.

"Sakura," I called in a warning tone.

She looked up at me, almost with fire in her eyes. Slowly, the fire faded as her cheeks began to turn a bright red. She started to fidget with her hands and I couldn't help but feel a sense of that authoritative characteristic again.

"Come here," I said without thinking.

Before I could comprehend the reason behind my demand, the guilt was already trailing behind my uncommitted actions.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Slowly, she walked towards the desk, going behind it where I sat. She kept a good, annoying distance between us as she dropped her bag to the floor.

"I... I just don't think it's fair that my grade is being affected when **you** sent the text—"

"While your phone was supposed to be turned off," I interrupted.

She huffed again, folding her arms stubbornly.

I was being an ass, but I couldn't help but pull on her leg a little more. Seeing the stubborn, feisty side of her was exciting.

It created more erotic scenarios to create with her in it. I needed them to help myself get off since she was off limits. Untouchable...

Pure sin...

Without thinking, I leaned forward a little, grabbing her hands. I pulled her body forward, so she could stand directly between my slightly parted legs.

The closer her body was to mine, the more the guilt and my conscious reminded me how wrong this was.

For a moment, she hesitated to let me pull her close, but she stopped when my hands tightened around her wrists.

"Your grade will be fine," I said softly.

I pulled her down, making her sit on my lap.

As I expected, she attempted to scramble from my lap, but I held her down a little tightly by the hips. I was pushing this here, but she would never initiate anything, even if she wanted to, nor would she ever act on her desires.

I just wanted to push her limits; see how far she would let me take this, even though the predicament was risky.

My eyes trained on the knob of the door, hoping that no one would barge in right now. But, there was the side of me that felt thrilled at the thought of us possibly almost getting caught in this compromising position.

 _What the hell?_

I'd never been one to get a high out of getting in trouble.

I dropped my hand to her bare knee, making her jump.

"L-Li— _Syaoran_ , wh-what are you doing?" she stumbled over her words, grabbing my hand tightly.

I used my other hand, bringing it up to her hair, so I could pull her head down towards my face. "Showing you that I am **not** your father," I said, and then closed the gap between our lips.

It took her a moment to respond before I licked her sweet lips lightly. As soon as her mouth opened, my tongue slid in her mouth and the guilt wilted away.

She turned over in my lap a little, grabbing my shoulders painfully tight. It wasn't a resisting act. _Crap_ …

I held back a groan, releasing her hair so I could drop my hand down to her thighs over her uniform skirt. Wrapping my hands around her legs, I shifted her body, so she could face me directly and straddle my waist.

When she complied to my needs of this position, I had the sudden urge to place her on the desk and take her already.

Unconsciously, my hands began to slide under her skirt slowly, never leaving her smooth thighs as our tongues tangled with one another's.

When my hands almost reached her rear end, she let out a soft moan and pulled back to catch her breath. From the look in her eyes, I could tell that she wanted to continue doing this.

 _Shit_.

"Would a father do that?" I asked in a velvety voice, placing a kiss on her jaw, and then licking it lightly. "Or this," my hands slid higher until they were directly on the cheeks of her behind.

Before I had the satisfaction of giving them a firm squeeze or light smack, she was already trying to stand.

"I-I-I-I—" she stuttered, struggling against my grip.

I released her to put her out of her own misery.

"S-sorry! I don't know if I hurt you, or your leg, or kissed you too—"

"You were fine. Just, don't ever think of me as your father. Think of me as a man you're attracted to," I said, pulling on her hand to make her sit on my lap again.

"O-okay—my grade. I didn't get a zero on the assignment, right? Because it wasn't my fault, and I really don't want to start the semester off with getting zeros on easy assignments. And, I didn't get a zero, right?" she asked, sounding worried.

I snaked my tongue down her jaw to her neck slowly, enjoying the feel of her skin against my tongue.

Her breath caught in her throat as if she were trying to hold back a moan.

"You didn't get a zero," I said, kissing her neck lightly.

She released a sigh of relief. "Why did you call me in then?" she asked.

My grip tightened around her body, pulling her directly against my crouch.

She gasped, no doubts because she felt how much I wanted her.

"Because you need to be more responsible and aware," I said, coming up with an excuse on the spot.

I couldn't tell her it was because I wanted to see her and talk. Besides, I had nothing that could excuse me calling her out like that in front of the entire class.

"By being in this predicament?" she asked in a small voice.

I looked at her to see a blush staining her entire face. She really was inexperienced with this kind of stuff...

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before?" I asked, purposely changing the subject.

It's not like that topic was important. Plus, I needed to get answers out of her about the gray-haired man she was speaking to before we came in here.

"No..." she trailed off awkwardly.

I glanced at the clock, seeing that it was only 3:30pm.

"Why? Have you never been interested in anyone before?" I asked, secretly hoping she would say no.

Instead, her cheeks turned a shade darker before she covered her face, releasing a soft, weird sound.

I didn't like that response.

"Have you, Sakura?" I asked, sounding harsher than I'd anticipated.

"Yes..."

"Is it the man you were just talking to outside my office?" I asked, cutting straight to the point. I hated beating around the bush about things.

Her face softened as a small smile formed on her lips. "Yukito-kun?"

It was him.

"Who is that?" I asked, unconsciously holding her tightly.

"My English teacher. He was Touya's best friend, so he was always around," she said softly.

"You're interested in him," I said, rather than asking.

I wanted to see her reaction to confirm my suspicions.

"I—umm..." she stopped, looking down at her hands in her lap.

I let out a forced, sarcastic huff. "Spoiler alert. It's never going to happen," I said, feeling irritated suddenly.

She frowned, attempting to stand from my lap.

I held her a little tightly.

"Let me go," she said quietly.

I frowned, releasing my hold on her. She slid off my lap, grabbing her bag on the floor by the desk.

"I'm going to go—"

"Kenta is going to pick you up," I said, standing from the chair.

"No thank you," she said stubbornly.

Before she could reach the door, I grabbed her wrist, turning her body towards mine again. "Yes, he will," I said, staring at her seriously.

Was she really upset with me when she just told me that she was interested in another man after kissing me like that?

She tried to pull her arm back from mine, but I held her tighter. "I said no thank you," she said, raising her voice a little.

I reached into my pocket with the other hand, grabbing my phone out. I dialed Kenta's number and then placed it against my ear. He answered on the first ring and I instructed him to be at the school to pick her up while staring at her.

Once the call ended, I released her arm. "It would be nice if you could show a little gratitude sometimes, ungrateful brat," I said tightly.

She gasped, and then glared at me before storming out of the door.

I walked back to the desk, sitting in the chair that was facing the computer.

I didn't understand why she felt upset about hearing the truth. Surely, I didn't feel the least bit happy about her saying she was interested in someone else. So, maybe she deserved to feel the way she felt right now.

* * *

"Yes sir," I said, looking as interested in the meeting as much as I could.

The reality of it all was that I wasn't the slightest bit interested. We had been sitting in here discussing the merge and financial issues for the last four hours.

I glanced at the clock, seeing that it was close to nine o'clock.

Xing was probably getting ready for bed...

I didn't even get the chance to call and talk with him today because of this annoying meeting. He was probably upset with me...

I wanted to talk with him, but I couldn't just stand up and say, "I have a kid back home who needs some attention."

I wish I could, but it didn't work that way. It was much more complicated than that. Work came first, then family...

That's how it always worked in this family.

I silently sighed, listening and commenting on the necessary topics for the rest of the meeting.

It was 10 o' clock when I sat back down at my desk in front of the computer.

I unlocked the drawer, and then pulled it open so I could reach for my phone. I hadn't picked it up since I got a call from Kenta earlier, informing me that Sakura and Xing arrived home safe. I sighed, wondering if she still felt upset with me for telling her the truth.

Thinking about that made me think about her liking someone else.

The disturbing feeling began to stir in my stomach again, thinking about her being with another man. It felt weird and off to think about, so I pushed the thought to the back of my head.

I didn't want to dwell on the emotion for too long, lest I start feeling possessive. She was never mine to begin with, and she never would be, so there was no point.

Despite the thoughts, my fingers still began scrolling through my phone, looking for her contact.

I stared at her name for a while before I pressed it. I pressed the call button immediately, not wanting to change my mind at the last second.

After the first two rings, I had already come up with an excuse as to why I was calling. After the fourth ring, I could feel myself becoming annoyed.

There was no way that she was sleeping at this time of the night. So, maybe she was ignoring me.

My hand clenched around the phone a little, feeling annoyed with that thought.

Was she ignoring me?

 _"Hello?"_ I heard her voice answer softly after that thought.

I could feel my heart beat a little faster, to my annoyance. "You're awake," I stated blandly.

 _"You called..."_ she almost whispered.

I sighed. "Xing's sleeping, isn't he?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. I was just hoping for another.

 _"Yes."_

Her response was short and clipped, which only meant one thing.

"You're still upset with me?" I asked, almost making it sound like a statement.

She didn't say anything.

I ran a hand through my hair with my other hand, frustrated. What was the big deal?

"Is that why you didn't answer my call immediately?" I asked testily.

 _"I wasn't near my phone when you called."_

The way she could easily lie to me was so infuriating.

"Do you have to lie?" I asked, my voice rising a little on its own.

 _"With all due respect, you're not giving me much of a choice."_ She said it so calmly and respectfully that I couldn't tell if she was back-talking or not.

 _"You told me that I couldn't tell any of my friends that we were all living together."_

 _Oh..._

"No, you can't. And, I mean that," I said sternly.

Daidouji seemed to be her good friend, and Daidouji's parents knew my parents, so it wouldn't mix well together. I couldn't risk that.

 _"Was there something you needed?"_ she asked.

"For you to drop the attitude because there will be consequences behind your actions if you don't," I threatened, though it was empty. Half-empty, at least.

She was silent for a moment before I heard a soft sigh. _"Okay."_

"Are you going to bed soon?" I asked, changing the subject.

I wanted to see her again...

 _"I would think so—"_

"Wait for me," I said.

 _"What?"_

"I'll be home soon. I just need to wrap up a few things here, and then I'll be on my way. So, wait for me. I want to talk to you about a few things," I said.

Before she could respond, I had already ended the call.

I was gambling it, but I had a good feeling that she would.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update. I've been really busy as of late, so updates aren't going to be as frequent with any of my stories for a while(at least until the semester's over). Sometimes it may be, but sometimes not. It all depends on the workload from school and my job. I'm going to be honest and say that this chapter has been done for a while, but I've been very hesitant on posting it. I've reread it like five times, changed the scenes just about as much, and so forth. I don't know why, but I just didn't feel comfortable with it lol. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just weird, so maybe that's why :P.**

 **On a better note, thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm glad a lot of you are enjoying the story so far(a little surprised too). Syaoran's a real pain in the behind, but he's loosening up a bit to her, if it isn't obvious :P. He's going to get a little better with the way he treats her in each chapter, so it's not like you guys will have to sit through an entire story of the rude, mean side of Syaoran. Also, I had a guest reviewer ask if he's just lusting after her. The answer is no, it's a lot deeper than an attraction :).**

 **Anyway, it's super late, so I'm mega-tired right now. Thank you guys so much for the support again!**

 **Ja ne!**


	16. Where We Stand

**"Where We Stand"**

* * *

It was official. Chiharu was right the moment she said it.

He was an asshole. Possibly the biggest asshole on the planet. How could he just embarrass me like that with no shame at all?

I almost felt steam blowing from my head when he pointed me out like that, when _he_ caused the distraction in his own class.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down as I unconsciously pulled Xing's sleeping form against me more. He was the only person I needed to think about.

He had fallen asleep about two hours ago after I read him his favorite story. He was a little depressed about Syaoran not calling today, but I somehow cheered him up by distracting him from the thoughts of his absent dad.

I held back a huff at the thought of the man _again_.

Who did he think he was, bossing me around like he had any kind of rights to anyway?

I mean, he was providing me with shelter, food, money, _and_ allowing me to be around his son, but that didn't give him a right to treat me the way he did today. Or, did it?

 _"Spoiler alert. It's never going to happen."_

Asshole.

I knew that Yukito would never notice me, but he didn't have to be so rude about it. I'm sure he wouldn't feel nice if I threw his missing child's mother in his face by saying she'd never want to be with him.

I sighed, closing my eyes tightly. Did I _really_ just think something so cruel?

I caressed Xing's hair as he snuggled his head on my breast with a soft sigh. Thinking that made me feel like I was throwing that in Xing's face.

I frowned, feeling like I needed to apologize to him even though I hadn't said anything to him about it.

I would never even tell Syaoran that, but I still wanted him to feel the way I had when he disregarded my feelings. And then he calls tonight, demanding me to wait for him.

He is providing me with everything that I need without any complaints, but why should I have to do **_everything_** he tells me to?

 _"It would be nice if you could show a little gratitude sometimes, ungrateful brat."_

Was I really that ungrateful for not wanting to accept any help from him after he embarrassed me?

No. It would make sense not to want to.

At any other time, I would have waited up for him because I thought I could like him. But now, I didn't want to.

Firstly, because he might try to use that velvety voice and kiss me again.

I was attracted to the man. _Very_ attracted, no doubts, so it was hard to resist this pull between us when he came near me. I wasn't too sure what he was capable of, or if he would try to take it further than kissing. I was definitely not ready for that, and he was still a man, so I didn't want to risk it.

And secondly, I was still upset that he embarrassed me and disregarded my feelings as if they were nothing. So, whatever he wanted to talk about could wait until I slept on this anger.

As soon as I heard the front door open, I closed my eyes, pretending to be sleep.

* * *

"I'll see you after school, right?" Xing asked me as Syaoran unbuckled his car seat.

I smiled at him, keeping my eyes directly locked on him. "Of course, honey," I said.

I still had not spoken to Syaoran, and I was secretly hoping that it stayed this way.

"Can I have a kissy?" he asked, pointing to his cheek with a grin on his face.

I smiled, getting ready to respond, but Syaoran beat me to it.

"Xing," he called.

My smile disappeared, turning into a frown.

"Come on," he said, grabbing Xing's little bag before they walked towards the school building, leaving me alone in the car.

It seemed like he was still in a pissy mood, so I prayed that he would continue this silence between us.

It took him approximately ten minutes before he came back. As soon as the door closed, the tension rose in the car between us that it was almost suffocating.

I took a silent, deep breath, hoping that it would calm down my raging heart and jumping nerves.

He cranked the car up, rising the annoyance in my blood. Still, I didn't say anything. I could barely breathe.

"You didn't wait up for me," he stated quietly.

Chills ran down my spine at the sound of his husky voice. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes, seeing his eyes focused on the road. My eyes dropped to his lips, and my face grew hot at the reminder of yesterday's events.

I couldn't believe that I had let him kiss me like that _after_ he embarrassed me in front of the entire classroom.

What in heavens name was I thinking? Or, was I even thinking at all?

Of course, I had been. I was too focused on the pull between us and how good it felt to be kissed like that by an attractive man, who apparently found _me_ attractive.

Internally, I groaned, wanting to slam my head against something to knock some sense into my stupid, stupid brain.

"Sakura," he called in a tone that I knew all too well.

My hand clenched around the bag in my lap nervously. Why did I still feel so nervous around him when we had kissed and been in compromising positions already, anyway?

"I... was tired," I decided to settle with.

He didn't deserve the truth anyway.

 _"There's something I want to talk about..."_

I looked at him hesitantly. "What did you need to talk about?" I asked in a much more confident voice this time.

He said that I had nothing to worry about, or feel frightened by him, so maybe I shouldn't. I had been reminding myself of this since he called me out in front of the class yesterday, yet this fear would always resurface when we were alone.

"It doesn't matter," he said.

I frowned, feeling slightly annoyed. I hated when people did this; tell me that they have to talk to me about something, and then later on, tell me never mind.

"What does it have to do with?" I asked.

"Nothing."

I looked at his face, seeing no trace of emotions on it.

 _Just kill me now._

"Are you sure?" I pressed, testing my luck. I had been doing that a lot lately.

He didn't say anything, causing my curiosity to grow.

"Syaoran," I called softly.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "It's nothing," he said in a tone that sounded like he was putting an end to the conversation. So, I didn't press any further on the topic.

When he pulled up to the school, I unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbed my bag, and unlocked the door myself. "Thank you for the ride, sir," I said, getting ready to open the door, but it didn't open. Apparently, he had locked it back.

"What happened to Syaoran?" he asked quietly.

My eyes widened, surprised by that question before they turned to him. "What?"

"I told you that you can call me Syaoran when we're alone," he said.

My grip tightened around my bag, wanting to grab him and shake some answers out of him. He was just cold and distant towards me, and now he wanted me to call him by his first name like we're friends?

I silently sighed, not wanting to ask the million questions that I needed to know. "I can't tell if we're friends right now, or even just on good terms," I said softly.

"Friends?" he questioned.

"Isn't that kind of what we've been for the past week since Disney?" I asked.

When his eyes turned to me, the temperature of my body heated up at the intensity of them.

I looked away, feeling like my face could explode.

 _What's wrong with me?_

I never felt this way with Yukito...

I cleared my throat, keeping my eyes away from his. "Well?" I asked in a small voice when he didn't respond.

It was only when a few seconds of silence passed between us that I realized what his unspoken answer was.

We hadn't gotten anywhere after all.

I unlocked the door again, opening it quicker this time so he couldn't trap me in this hole with him anymore. "Thanks for the ride," I said again, and then closed the door before he could even respond.

When he drove off, the feelings washed away, but the anger resurfaced. Now, he was upset that I had not stayed awake.

I sighed, shaking my head as I walked further on campus.

There was no way he's an adult who is very influential in society when he has the mood swings of a child who cannot get what they want.

"Good morning, Sakura," I heard Tomoyo greet, before she stood beside me.

I forced a smile on my face. "Morning," I said softly.

"You're here early again," she said skeptically.

 _Is she on to the lies?_

"Uh...my uncle dropped me off early," I said, almost hesitantly.

I almost slipped up and told her yesterday when she saw me here before her, which was almost never. "Let's just say that I'm probably going to be early for the remainder of the school year. My uncle has to drop his son off, me off, and then make it to work on time," I said fluently.

So, lying was becoming a little easier these days. But, not to my best friend. Maybe I could convince Syaoran to let me tell her the truth. It was one thing to lie to everyone else, but to lie to my best friend? It was the hardest thing in the world.

"I see. Well, at least you don't have to worry about being late for classes anymore," she said.

I giggled, nodding my head as we walked through the doors. "That's true," I said.

"Hey, you want to come over today? There's some new designs I've just finished, and I was wondering if you could model some of the outfits. I'm still trying to build up my portfolio for that school," she said.

I smiled, nodding my head. "Of course. What time did you have in mind?" I asked.

"It could be right after school," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's fine by me."

The bell rang, signaling first period about to begin soon.

"We should get to class," I said.

She nodded, and we began to walk to class, talking about her new designs.

* * *

I sat in the back of the classroom in my designated seat.

Everything was in check. I had my phone turned completely off, and my voice. I wasn't going to get in trouble today. **_No_** , I wouldn't make him get me into trouble.

Two times was already enough, so he wouldn't get a third shot at it.

Was he getting a rise out of this or something?

"Are you okay, Sakura? You're looking frustrated again," I heard Tomoyo ask. "What are you thinking about?"

I forced a smile on my face. "How much Chiharu was right about Li-sensei being an asshole," I said.

Tomoyo giggled, shaking her head. "Do you really think he purposely got you in trouble? I mean... you kind of had your phone turned up when he put emphasis on not having it on at all," she said with a raised brow.

I had to bite my tongue, holding myself back from telling her that it was him who sent the text to begin with.

"We can assume that he enjoys picking on you if he points something out today. Let me see your phone," she said, holding her hand out to me.

I leaned down, grabbing my phone out of my bag. I handed it to her.

She took it and then turned the volume all the way down before she looked at it with a concentrated face. "When did you get this anyway?"

"Sy—uh...my uncle gave it to me when I moved in with him," I said, crossing my fingers that she didn't pick up on my almost slip of the tongue.

"Hmm... we've known each other for more than a decade, and I've never heard about this rich uncle that you have," she said thoughtfully.

"He, uh, moved here like a few months ago for business, and when he found out about..." I stopped, realizing what, or who, I was about to bring up. I couldn't do it.

"It's fine. We don't have to talk about it. Especially here, of all places," she said quietly.

I gave her a small smile for being so understanding. Yet, here I was lying to her...

"Anyway, he's nice and I've enjoyed my stay with him. Besides, it's not like it'll be long before I graduate and live on my own," I said, reassuring her that there was nothing to worry about.

"Alright. It would be nice and make me feel at ease if I could meet him," she said.

My eyes widened. "U-uhh...l—"

The door opened, revealing my 'uncle' with his brief case.

The entire class fell into hushed mode immediately.

When he placed his things on the desk, he turned to the class with that same serious face on. "Good morning, class," he said curtly.

Everyone was quick to respond, except me.

Why should I when he might get upset with me? Because for some reason, everything that I did seemed to upset him.

"Take out yesterday's homework," he said.

Homework?

I turned to Tomoyo, seeing that her eyes were wide. She looked at me apologetically, mouthing a, "Sorry, I forgot."

I gave her a small, understanding smile to let her know that I knew that she hadn't intentionally forgot.

She had given me an extra copy of her notes that she took in class yesterday to keep me updated on the first lecture. So, I couldn't be mad that she had forgotten this.

I looked to the front of the class, a little surprised to see his eyes trained on me. When our eyes locked for a moment, I looked away immediately, feeling my face heat.

Was I upset with him, or wanted to jump his bones?

I couldn't tell anymore.

"Last class, we talked about the foundation of business and what to expect when it comes to the term of understanding the background. I handed everyone out their text book, with the exception of Miss Kinomoto. So, could you see me at the end of class to give you yours?" he asked in a professional tone.

I swallowed, nodding my head slowly, wishing this stupid blush would disappear already.

 _Everyone was looking at me!_

"Yes, sir," I said in a small voice.

He turned his attention back to the entire classroom. "Could anyone tell me what quantitative methods are summed up as?" he asked.

Mitsuki was the first to raise her hand, as expected.

She was always like this with male teachers. She would give them her undivided attention and a little bit more, in hopes of getting a good grade in the end.

I had to hand it to her, it was a great idea, but I wasn't trying to be the top student of the year. And, it would be a little weird if I acted as she did.

Syaoran looked past her hand and called on another person's hand.

"Math and economics," he answered confidently.

"Right, and..."

My mind zoned the rest of his sentence out, but not enough to the point where I'd be lost. I mean, I already was since I wasn't here for yesterday's lecture, thanks to _him_.

So, I sat through the rest of the class, listening and taking as many notes as I could, while trying to ignore the thoughts of him and certain situations.

As soon as class ended, I was at Tomoyo's desk, helping her pick her bags up.

She giggled, raising a brow at me. "What are you doing?" she asked, picking her books up.

"I'm helping you with your things and…" I trailed off, unable to ask her what I wanted to ask. I didn't want to be put in another predicament with him right now.

"Are you trying to make me go with you to get your book?" she asked with a smile on her face.

My face heated up, surely bound to explode at any minute now. "Tomoyo, I can't do this alone again. He's so…mean," I said the last part lamely.

She giggled, standing from the desk. I looked to the front of the classroom, seeing students talk to him. "Tomoyo, please. You saw how uncaring and rude he was yesterday. He made me feel so stupid in his office yesterday too," I said the last part quietly.

 _How did he do that?_

"Alright, alright. I was going to, to begin with," she said, making me sigh in relief. "I'll stand up there with you awkwardly, but if he has your book in his office, I'll walk you there, and that's it."

I sighed in relief, really grateful for her. "I'm sure the book's in here. Come on," I said.

We walked to the front of the classroom where there were barely any students now.

Once it was my turn to talk with him, I held my breath, feeling his gaze on me. I almost scrambled out the room, wanting to end the humiliation that I knew was surely to come.

"U-uh...the book," I said awkwardly.

He glanced at Tomoyo briefly before his eyes shifted back to mine. "It's in my office," he said, looking down at the papers on his desk.

 _Crap_.

Was he lying?

Or, was he using this an excuse to humiliate me again?

I took a deep breath, deciding to put my big girl panties on, as Tomoyo would put it. "Okay. Do I have to wait, or can we get it now?" I asked.

I mentally patted myself on the back for not stumbling over my words.

"Give me a moment," he said, eyes still focused on the task at hand, or organizing the papers.

"Okay..." I said quietly before dragging Tomoyo out the classroom with me.

As soon as the door closed, I turned to her. "Hoeee..."

She laughed, giving me a sympathetic pat on the back. "He is intimidating, Sakura. But, I think you're being a little dramatic. He didn't pick on you today, so it's not that he doesn't like you. I mean, what's the worse he could do from a simple meet up to give you the book?"

Oh geez, I don't know. Kick me out. Make me a homeless girl on the street who has to sell her body to make a living.

It's not like she knew that, though.

"You're right. Maybe I am being a little over dramatic," I said with a small smile. I took a deep breath and then released it.

"There you go. Put your big girl panties on and stop being such a wuss," she said in a playful tone.

I giggled, nodding my head. "You're right. I don't know why I'm so nervous," I said.

"You have a crush on him, maybe," she said with a smirk on her face.

I blushed, eyes widening. "I do not!" I denied, despite my heart reacting to her statement.

"Really?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yes. I don't even know him enough to have a crush on him. I like Yukito, who is not an 'asshole' as Chiharu described Li-sensei," I said.

As soon as the statement came out, the classroom door slid open.

I turned to him, feeling unpleasant chills run down my body at the ice-cold glare in his eyes.

Tomoyo seemed to sense it because she let out a short laugh. "I'm going to be at the gate. I enjoyed the lecture today, Li-sensei," she said kindly.

He nodded towards her before she gave me a secret smile and walked down the halls, away from us.

 _Betrayer!_

"Come on," he said shortly.

I followed a good distance behind him as I rationalized all the possibilities that could occur. Even my death from a heart attack or possibly by his hands.

"I was meaning to give it to you yesterday," he said conversationally.

Was he trying to make conversation?

"Was that what you wanted to talk about?" I asked softly.

"No. I wanted to discuss how much of an asshole I seem to you," he said coldly.

My eyes widened, cheeks flaming hot at that statement. Had he heard my conversation with Tomoyo?

He opened the office door, motioning me to walk inside first. He walked inside, not bothering to close the door, to my relief. Or, disappointment?

"I'm sorry. I was just upset with you," I said, hands fidgeting with each other.

 _Stop it, stupid hands._

"You embarrassed me in front of everyone, and then you kissed me like you feel any type of emotions towards me, then followed up with disregarding my feelings as a whole. I know that I'm in no right to tell you how you are as a person, but I do have a right to feel this way. I know now that I'm probably going to get-"

"You're rambling again," he interrupted.

I stopped, realizing how right he was. I took a deep, shaky breath. "I..." I paused.

He looked down and grabbed the book on his desk. He handed it to me, along with papers. "That's the book and homework I assigned yesterday."

I looked at his face, seeing nothing that gave away how he felt about my outburst. I took the book from him and held it to my chest, feeling slightly embarrassed that he ignored me once again. "Thank you," I said quietly.

"I'm going to Tomoyo's today."

He looked at me, causing a blush to spread across my face. "So...Kenta doesn't have to pick me up."

"You're still insisting on taking the bus?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

I swallowed, tightening my grip around the book. "Would you rather I have Tomoyo's driver take me then?" I asked, almost in a menacing tone.

 _Now, he was acting all protective._

What was he thinking? Feeling?

"No," he said quickly.

"I'll be home in enough time for Xing," I said.

He sighed, nodding his head. "Alright."

I swallowed, nervously moving towards the door now. "I guess... I'll see you later, sir," I said awkwardly.

When he didn't say anything, I took that as my cue to leave.

"Sakura."

I stopped at the door, hearing the familiar softness in his voice. Refusing to turn around and look at him, I just stood at the door, waiting.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, but I heard him loud and clear.

Even though he didn't directly state what he was sorry for, I already knew what he was apologizing for. A small smile crept to my lips, and my cheeks warmed at the sincerity. "Okay," and I walked out of his office.

* * *

"Is Daddy coming home today?" Xing whined, pulling on my arm as I set the table with Hana.

"Xing, don't you want to help set the table with us?" I asked, hoping to distract him from whatever he was thinking about.

I had gotten home thirty-minutes ago from Tomoyo's house, and he had been asking this same question non-stop.

 _What's gotten into him?_

"But, but, but," he let out a loud groan.

I turned to him, stooping down to his height. "What's wrong?" I asked in a concerned tone.

"I want to see daddy!" he said, folding his arms over his chest stubbornly.

I brushed down his disheveled hair, trying to sooth him a bit. "I know, I know. You saw daddy this morning, remember? And just think, you'll get to see him again—"

He huffed, pushing my hand away, to my surprise. "It was only for a little time, and we didn't get to play, or do anything together!" he said.

My eyes softened, and heart wrenched at seeing the tears form in his eyes. He had been whinier and complaining for the last two days.

"In a few days, you'll be able to," I said softly.

He sniffed, looking at me hopefully. "Really?" he asked.

"Didn't you say every Saturday you guys go swimming?" I asked.

A small smile formed on his face as he stared at nothing, looking as if he remembered the times. He nodded. "Yes."

"It'll be Saturday in three days, so you'll have to wait a little while longer," I said softly.

"How many hours is that?" he asked.

 _Oh gosh, my least favorite subject._

Twenty-four times three is...

"Seventy-two hours."

He groaned. "But that sounds so long," he whined. "What about minutes?"

I laughed nervously. "Let's just stick to three days, okay?"

He giggled, nodding his head. "Yes, ma'am," he said in a playful tone.

"How about you help Ms. Hana and I set up the table now?" I asked again.

He nodded enthusiastically, and I stood up, only to see Hana staring at me knowingly.

"Are you sure you've never had kids before?" she asked.

My cheeks warmed, and I shook my head.

"Are you positive? You do so well with kids that I'd trust you with my own and that's very rare."

I smiled, feeling my insides turn into mush at the compliment. "That makes me feel very delighted to hear," I said.

She chuckled. "I'm not just saying it, dear. I mean it. You treat Xing as your own, and that's not something you see daily from a person," she said.

"It's because Sakura is a very nice lady. Even daddy thinks so," Xing chimed in.

I blushed even more at that statement. "You guys don't have to do this," I said shyly.

"Really. Every day, before he drops me off, he always reminds me to be on my best behavior for the teachers, and for you because you..." He scratched the back of his head. "I forget all the time, but daddy thinks that you're really nice too."

"Okay, that's enough, Xing. You're going to have Sakura explode from embarrassment," Hana said.

I coughed nervously, sitting the plates on the table now. "W-we should finish setting the table, so we can eat," I said.

"I was only trying to say what daddy always says," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

I had to hold back a smile at hearing that Syaoran didn't hate me after all. So why did he always put up this facade as if he did?

I pushed the thought to the back of my head as we finished setting up the table.

After we finished, we ate dinner as usual together before Hana left us to get home to her family.

It was always nice to spend a little time with her when Syaoran wasn't around. Oddly enough, she always left after she finished cooking when he was around, but she normally stayed to eat with us when he wasn't around.

Hmm...

"Well, what do you want to do now? We have an hour and a half to kill before it's time for bed," I asked him after we finished cleaning the kitchen.

"Hmm...maybe we can wait for daddy tonight?" he asked.

This again...

"We can wait until your bedtime, okay? But, what do you want to do now?" I asked.

"Wait for daddy," he said again.

I frowned, wondering what it was that he really needed from Syaoran. Or, maybe he just wanted to see him.

"How about I see if he can talk on the phone with you right now?" I suggested.

His face brightened up. "Really?"

"I didn't say he could, but I can try, okay?"

He nodded his head enthusiastically. "Okay!"

I took a deep, silent breath before I took out my phone. I sent a quick text, asking if he could talk on the phone right now with Xing.

"And now, we wait, but for the meantime, how about we play hide-and-seek?" I asked, hoping he would agree to his favorite game.

"We have to wait for daddy, though," he said with a smile on his face.

"Xing," I called.

"What?" he answered quietly.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"No..." he said in a small voice.

"Come here," I said.

He shook his head, moving back a little. "If you hug me, I'll start crying," he said.

I stooped down to his height, so we could look each other directly in the eyes, but I didn't go near him. "Why would you do that, honey?" I asked softly.

"Because..." He shook his head vigorously when tears formed in his eyes. "It'll make me feel sad..." he said.

"Why?"

"I don't know," he said, voice cracking a little.

Was there something I missed? Did this have something to do with me? Or what I did? Said?

Or maybe he just didn't understand anything like a normal kid wouldn't.

"Okay, honey. I won't hug you," I promised with a forced smile on my face.

"Promise?" he asked.

I nodded. "Pinky promise," I said, holding up my pinky.

He stared at me for a while before he slowly walked towards me and linked his pinky with mine.

I shook our hands together with a sad smile. "Now, tell me what's wrong," I said.

He swallowed nervously. "Well..." Immediately, his cheeks turned a rosy pink as he looked away. "It's..."

When he hesitated to tell me, I began to realize how much he really didn't want to tell me.

I caressed his cheek lovingly before pulling on it gently. "How about this, you tell me when you're ready to, okay?" I asked.

A small smile formed on his lips and he looked at me. "Really?"

"Of course," I said encouragingly.

A huge grin spread across his face before he nodded. "Fish kiss!"

And he landed a big, wet one on my lips with puckered lips.

He giggled, pulling back from the kiss. "Yucky," I said in a playful tone. "How about I give you a million fish kisses all over your face?" I said mockingly.

He gasped dramatically before stepping back from me. "Like all of my aunties do? It's so _so_ yucky and they always leave my face covered with lips!" he said.

I gave him a sly look before shrugging my shoulders. "I don't know...I guess...I might!" And I grabbed him, landing kisses all over his face, similar to the ones he always gave me.

He screeched, struggling to get away as he laughed while I gave him merciless kisses. "Okay, okay! No more!" he yelled between giggles.

When he could barely breathe, I stopped, letting him catch his breath.

"That was fun!" he exclaimed after catching his breath.

I giggled, poking his side. "You know what I think would be even more fun?" I asked.

"Super mommy!" he said excitedly.

"Eh?" I said, completely surprised by that answer.

"Well, daddy calls it 'super daddy,' but you can't be daddy because you're a girl. Right? Or...you can? Can you be daddy?"

I laughed nervously, shaking my head, at a loss for words. "I-I can't, but—"

"So then, you can be super mommy!"

I swallowed, nodding my head. "How does the game go?" I asked nervously.

"Well, I'm the baby in danger, and you're the one who saves me from all the bad guys and monsters," he explained in a tone as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Daddy always plays it with me when he has the time and..." He stopped as if he were thinking about it.

I lightly popped his forehead, snapping him out of the thoughts. "Super mommy it is then," I said softly.

His eyes widened, staring at me hopefully. "Really?"

"Of course," I said with a smile.

He jumped up in happiness. "You're the best!" He gave me another fish kiss.

I giggled, having to hold myself back from embracing him. I didn't want to break the promise I made with him.

He took off running, yelling my name. "There's a big, poopy green monster running after me. _Saave_ me!" he exclaimed, running around the living room.

I giggled, deciding to play along by trying to catch up so I could 'save' him.

I don't know how long we played, but it was the most fun I had ever had since my childhood with Touya and Dad.

It was only when he laid back on the floor in my room that I noticed how tired he was.

"That was so much fun," he said, out of breath.

I giggled, trying to catch my breath. "I know," I said.

"It's been a very, very long time since I played that," he said, stretching out his arms to emphasize his point.

I smiled, thinking of his 'very, very long time' as maybe a month or two ago. He always exaggerated things.

"Maybe we could play more often then, so you won't have to say it's been a long time—"

"Very, _very_ long time," he interrupted, correcting me.

I giggled, nodding my head. "A very, very long time then," I repeated.

He yawned, turning over on the soft carpet to look at me with sleepy-eyes. "I'm tired," he said softly.

Before I could respond, he already had his eyes closed.

"Xing," I called softly.

He didn't respond.

I made a move to shake him gently but saw how peaceful and relaxed he looked. He looked like a replica of his father.

I smiled, laying my head down on the carpet to look him directly in his face.

There was definitely something wrong with him, but seeing his peaceful face erased my worries of anything that could be wrong with him.

Maybe he'd feel up to telling me tomorrow.

The longer I stared at his face, the more I realized how much my heart warmed and wrenched at this unfamiliar feeling that I felt for him.

 _"I love you."_

Was this the feeling that he felt when he told me that?

He wasn't my child, but it sure was starting to feel like it. Oddly enough, this feeling didn't scare me. It felt...natural.

"I lo—"

My phone began to ring before I could finish, scaring me near to death.

Immediately, I took it out of my pocket, silencing it before I saw the caller Id on it.

My heart began to race, seeing the phone continue to ring.

To answer...

Or, to not answer...

The phone buzzed one more time before I swiped it across. "H-hello?" I answered nervously.

Nothing to be nervous about, he likes you...

Nothing to be nervous about, he likes you...

 _"Is everything alright?"_ he asked in a worried tone.

He likes you...

"Uh, yes, sir," I said.

 _"What happened?"_

"Oh, nothing. I just think...that Xing wanted to talk with you," I said uncertainly.

 _"You think?"_ he asked.

I couldn't detect if he was annoyed or upset with me.

"He did, but he's sleeping now. He just fell asleep," I said.

He let out a hushed sigh. _"Damn it. Okay. I'm in a meeting right now and I stepped out to go to the restroom, so I have to go."_

"Oh, okay," I said, feeling a little disappointed that he had to go so soon.

 _"Yeah. I'll talk with you later—"_

"Do you want me to wait up for you tonight? I...think there's something wrong with Xing," I said, pushing the thoughts of being upset with him, to the feelings of being scared, away. This was about Xing, and Syaoran was probably the only person who could solve the problem.

He was quiet on the phone for a minute, making me wonder if he had hung up.

 _"It's up to you,"_ he finally said.

I smiled a little, nodding my head. "Okay. I'll see you later then," I said.

And then he hung up.

I released the sigh I had been holding before I sat up to gently pick Xing up.

He clung to my body as soon as I stood up, nearly falling back over with his weight. I decided to place him in my bed since he wanted to sleep with me.

Sleeping in his bed was a pain because the bed wasn't big enough for the two of us. Most times, he basically slept on top of me, so my bed would be best.

I placed him in my bed and then took his pants off. I went to his room to grab pajama bottoms before coming back to my room and putting them on his sleeping form. Glancing at the clock, I realized I didn't ask him how long he'd be.

Knowing that we could possibly solve Xing's problems made the long wait worth it.

And, maybe I could get him to tell me what he's been thinking lately.

I laid down beside Xing, which he immediately cuddled up to my body.

Gosh, this little boy...

I caressed his hair gently, smoothing down his disheveled hair, though it didn't cooperate.

I couldn't even imagine ever leaving him after graduation anymore.

Would Syaoran continue to let me see him after I leave? Or would that be the end of Xing for me once I leave?

I didn't even want to think about it...

I laid beside him, thinking of all the possibilities of me leaving before I even realized the time passing by. It was only when I heard the front door open that I looked at the time, seeing that it was 11:07.

He was here earlier than I thought he would be...

I removed myself from Xing's body with difficulty, as usual.

Was this becoming a routine between us now?

I left my room, leaving the door cracked open before I walked to the kitchen. It was surprising to see that Syaoran wasn't in the kitchen as he normally would be.

"You didn't give me enough time," I heard the familiar voice behind me.

I froze, surprised to hear his voice, and then I turned around towards the direction of his voice.

 _Oh, gosh..._

Inner whore was trying to come out...

Literally.

I mean, he was paying me, and now...we were doing _things_ that I wouldn't even dream of doing with a guy I'm not in love with...

Oh, gosh, was I really a whore now?

"Don't look so panicked," he said, walking further in the kitchen.

I swallowed, nodding my head. "I-I'm not. It's just..." I took a deep breath and then released it. "I'm nervous."

He was always blunt and honest with me, so maybe I could return the favor.

"Why?"

I leaned against one of the chairs at the table, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't know," I barely whispered.

When he walked closer to me, I could feel my insides turning to mush at the reminder of how good his body felt against mine yesterday in his office.

I still couldn't believe that I had let him do that when I was upset with him. I truly needed help.

Instead of making any type of contact with me, he leaned against the counter away from me, but keeping his eyes locked with mine.

What was he thinking?

"What's the problem with Xing?" he asked, looking at me seriously.

At the mention of Xing, my body untensed, feeling a little more comfortable. "I don't know what exactly, but he's acting more..." I stopped, trying to think of a word that wouldn't offend him. "Needy, I guess. Like today, he asked about you almost non-stop until I got him distracted enough. But then, his mind would revert back to needing to see you. I'm not sure if I'm looking too deep into it, but he doesn't normally ask about you this much throughout the day.

He looked deep in thought for a moment before his attention was back on me. "What's the date?" he asked me.

"Uh...it's just September 8th," I said.

"Okay, it's not that..." he said under his breath.

Without thinking, I asked, "Not what?"

He shook his head. "Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," he said as if it were nothing.

I frowned, wondering what it was. Otherwise, why else would he refer to Xing's behavior because of whatever this something is.

"I can't help but be concerned," I said.

"Well, don't—"

"He wouldn't even let me hug him today because it would 'make him cry' so you can't tell me not to be," I said, feeling my heart wrench at the memory. Immediately, I looked at him apologetically. "I didn't mean that in a disrespectful way—"

"I know," he interrupted, surprising me with his response.

I swallowed. "It really...hurt to see him like that," I said quietly. "Do you think it's anything at school?"

He shook his head. "It's not. Kenta didn't inform me of anything and I didn't get a call from his teacher."

"Well, there's something wrong. I don't know what, but I know there's something," I said, sure about this than I had ever been sure about anything else in my life.

He stared at me for a while as if he were studying me.

I could feel my cheeks growing hot. "What is it?" I asked in a small voice.

"Why?"

"Eh?"

"Why do you care about him so much? You haven't even known him long," he said.

"I...I can't help it. It feels like I've known him for a long time. I don't know why, but somehow, I feel connected to him, as crazy as it sounds. He cared enough to accept me with opened arms when he didn't know me. He's a kid, I know, but even I know him enough to know that he isn't fond of strangers on the street. But he didn't treat me like a stranger. And..." I stopped, wondering if I was rambling again, but he didn't say anything.

I sighed, changing my mind about continuing. It would probably be best not to mention it anyway.

"What else?" he asked. "Tell me what you were going to say."

I was quiet for a moment before I shook my head. "It's nothing. I just care about him a lot."

"Sakura," he called softly.

My fingers griped the chair tightly before I took a deep breath. "I lost my mother at a young age, so I was confused and lost..." I peeked at him from under my lashes to see his reaction.

He was still staring with this expression I couldn't describe. It wasn't anger or annoyance, so I continued, "I had my father and brother, who I'm very grateful for, but, I still often wonder what it's like to have a mom since I was so young and can't remember anything about her besides the pictures that I've seen. I'm not trying to pry or anything, but I feel like Xing is also lost and confused. The only difference between us now is that his memories of her are still vivid and clear, while mine aren't."

He didn't say anything for a minute as his eyes stared at something I didn't know, but I could tell that he wasn't really staring at anything. He was thinking.

A full minute passed between us before I decided to break the silence. "I—"

"So, he'll forget everything about her if she's never around anymore?" he asked quietly.

"I can't remember anything before the age of five."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair frustrated as if he were stressed about the answer given. "You're right," he whispered.

"What happened?" I asked, hoping he'd finally tell me about this.

"You should head to bed," he said, lifting himself from the counter.

"But—"

"It's late and you need your rest," he said.

Without thinking, I grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "Wait," I whispered.

He didn't move, but I didn't either as we stood frozen in the tense-filled room.

"I...I want to understand you," I said lamely. "I want to get to know you instead of making all these assumptions up about you. What's a better time than now, right? You're always working and on the run besides at night. I'm awake now and so are you, so I think now is the perfect time."

When he didn't say anything, my grip unconsciously tightened on his arm, fearing that I chose the wrong time to put my big girl panties on.

And, he wasn't looking at me, so I didn't know if he was annoyed, confused, or upset.

Maybe this was stu—

"Okay."

I blinked one, two, and then three times to make sure I had not fallen asleep and this was a dream.

"Wh-what?"

"What do you want to know about me?" he asked, turning around towards me.

My breath caught in my throat, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights with his intense gaze.

I didn't expect him to ask that question, of all the things he could have said.

"I want to know you."

"My Chinese name is Xiao Lang. I have very influential parents who live in Hong Kong with four annoying sisters. I have a son—"

I giggled, shaking my head. "No, I want to know _you_. Not a biography of you. Like... the _real_ you that I met last weekend."

When he didn't say anything for a while, I continued, "Like, what do you like?"

"What?"

"What do you like, besides work?"

"More work," he said shortly.

"In your spare time, away from work."

He looked deep in thought for a moment again. "The piano."

My eyes widened. "You play the piano?" I asked incredulously.

"I used to."

"How did you learn?" I asked.

"I learned at an early age. It's more of a traditional thing in my family."

"So... that means Xing knows how to play?" I asked.

"Yes. But it's been a minute since he played."

"Sugoi..." I said, already admiring him even though I hadn't heard him yet.

"He had a tutor back in Hong Kong, the same man who taught me."

"You have a piano?" I asked.

"Yes."

I smiled. "I would love to hear you play one day. I'm sure you're amazing," I said.

For a moment, his cheeks turned a slight red, but it disappeared fast. Or, maybe I just imagined it.

"Maybe," he said blandly. "Do you play anything?"

I shook my head. "No, but that's because my talents are elsewhere."

"Like?"

"I take after my dad, so I'm very athletic and can cook," I said proudly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I could cook for you one day if you'd like," I offered with a smile.

"Do as you may," he said nonchalantly.

I grinned. "It's a deal then."

"What?" he asked, sounding confused.

I giggled. "For someone as smart and perceptive as you are, you sure can be a little slow to understand Japanese," I said in a playful tone.

When his face showed displeasure with my joke, I said, "I'll cook for you one day, and you'll play the piano for me one day."

He was quiet for a moment, so I was surprised when he responded with a silent okay.

From there on out, I asked him anything that I could come up with that was appropriate.

He didn't respond with anymore short answers, and he even asked me about things he wanted to know.

It was only when I stifled a yawn that I looked at the clock on the wall to see the time.

I was surprised to see that it was past three in the morning.

"I didn't even notice the time," I said.

He looked at the clock. "It's late. You should get to bed."

I gave him a pointed look. "You too, mister. You have to be up as well."

"About earlier..."

"Hmm?" I looked at him, confused about what he was trying to say now.

"About us being friends," he said.

"Oh," I said, sounding a little disappointed at the reminder of that. "It's not a big deal."

"Okay. I didn't know if I offended you," he said.

I laughed nervously, waving it off. "No, no, no. I just...thought that since we called each other by our first names and..." My cheeks warmed, thinking about the thing I hadn't thought about this entire time until now. "Yeah, but it's nothing."

"If it makes you feel better, you're the closest thing to a friend than I've ever had before," he said.

Eh?

"What about—" I stopped myself before I could ask.

"My wife. Well, ex-wife," he said.

I studied his face, trying to see if there was any kind of emotions that would give away if he felt...something for her. There was nothing there, though.

"Yeah..." I said quietly.

He shrugged. "I respect her to the utmost because she is the mother of my child, but there was never—" He stopped, causing my curiosity to grow.

"Never what?" I asked almost impatiently.

He sighed, pushing his chair back from the table. "It's nothing important. You should head to bed," he said, standing from the chair.

I frowned, standing with him. "Okay."

"Wipe that look off your face. I've told you enough about myself," he said in a disapproving tone.

"But—"

"That's enough."

I sighed, deciding to back down. Not because he told me to, for a change, but because I was beginning to notice myself pry a little too much now.

"Okay. I enjoyed talking with you," I said.

He moved closer to me, invading my senses with him, yet he didn't touch me.

"This weekend..." he started off.

I swallowed, not moving a single muscle. I didn't want to make the slightest bit of contact or the other side of me would try to come out.

Definitely not good.

"I'm going to try and spend time with Xing," he said.

I smiled, looking up at him. "That's great," I said excitedly.

"I want you to come with us," he said.

My eyes widened, surprised by that statement. "U-uh...are you sure?" I asked uncertainly. Didn't he care about me being discovered under his care?

"It'll be somewhere private where it's just the three of us, so I'm sure," he said.

The sound of that didn't sound bad, but it didn't sound appealing either.

Instead of telling him that, I just nodded. "Alright."

He nodded before moving away from me hesitantly. "Good night, Sakura."

I swallowed. "Night," I said quietly.

And then he left the kitchen.

I released a much-needed breath, feeling like I had been holding it in the moment he got close to me.

I wonder what's gotten into him suddenly?

* * *

 **A/N: It feels like I haven't updated a chapter in a long time, but it's only really been a week and a few days. I feel a little bad because this was my spring break week, but I didn't get to write much because I've been busy and really sick lately. I'm a little better(thanks to the meds that hasn't worn off yet!), so I was able to find the energy to edit the rest of this chapter today(editing takes longer than writing the chapter itself for me, for some reason D:).**

 **Anyway, thank you guys for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Personally, I don't think this was really a great chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed it either way xD. As soon as my health is back up, I'll try my best to update more!**

 **Ja ne!**


	17. A New Beginning

**"A New Beginning"**

* * *

She's...perfect.

Everything about her was beginning to seem unreal that it was scaring me. And _I_ never felt scared about anything.

She could cook, or so she told me. She's never come off as a dirty person, and she's good with my kid. No, she's _great_ with him.

With _my_ kid.

No one outside of family had ever been good with my stubborn, mischievous son. But, somehow, she pulled through. She's made him fall in love with her in one of the most obvious ways, yet it seemed so confusing. How did she do it? _Why_ did she do it?

I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes briefly, seeing her eyes glued to the phone before shifting them back to the road.

"Who are you texting this early?" I asked, hoping to sound nonchalant, but curious all the same. I didn't know why I wanted to know but I just did. Had she given her number to anyone else other than Daidouji since they talked a lot, or was it just her?

Why the hell did I even want to know?

"Tomoyo. She says that she may be a little late for class today," she said as if it were normal.

I had to tighten the muscles in my face to hold myself back from smiling at her response. Not because her friend wouldn't make it to class, but because there was no fear in her tone or demeanor, which meant she felt comfortable.

Maybe last night was worth staying awake to talk with her.

Damn it...

Another thing she was good at; listening and acting like she gives a damn about the things I said or did.

I looked in the front rear view mirror, seeing Xing sit in the back seat, staring out the window. Frowning, I cleared my throat to get his attention. "Xing," I called.

Automatically, he looked to the front of the mirror at me. "Yes, sir?" he answered quietly.

There was definitely something wrong. He had been short and brief with me all morning, kind of like I am with people when I don't want to be bothered or felt uneasy. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel that it was because he didn't want to be bothered.

How did Sakura pick up on this before I did?

"What do you want to do this weekend?" I asked, deciding to throw my plans away. We could do whatever he wanted to.

He opened his mouth, ready to respond before it closed.

My eyes trained back on the road.

"Nothing," he said.

I felt Sakura's eyes on me, making all the hairs stand on my body, but I ignored it. "You don't want to swim? Go to the park, or get any ice cream?" I asked, hoping to a get a reaction out him. My eyes briefly looked at him before they strayed back to the road.

"No," he said quietly.

A frown tugged at my lips. "Are you sure? We can go to...a carnival," I suggested.

"No, it's fine," he said.

"Are you sure, Xing? It'll be a lot of fun," Sakura chimed in.

I could see her turning her head around from the corner of my eyes.

"Yes," Xing said softly.

"Daddy isn't going to have to work, so he'll be able to spend time with us. Are you sure? It'll really be fun if you come and spend time with us," she said, her voice sounding so encouraging.

I was a little jealous. Okay, maybe a lot.

"Well...since you're insisting, okay. I want to go to the park with Sakura and Daddy again, and then sit in the pool **_alll_** day," he said, his voice sounding a bit more chirped.

"Done then. That's exactly what we'll do," I said immediately.

"Like old times?" he asked in a small voice.

"Just like old times," I repeated after him.

He cheered, sounding a little bit happier than he was before.

I pulled up to his school and turned the car off.

"We'll be back," I told Sakura as I unbuckled Xing's seat belt to help him out.

When Xing did not say anything to Sakura, I was surprised, so I turned to him.

"You don't want a kiss from Sakura?" I asked without thinking.

It fell silent in the car, making me realize what I really said.

"Uh—"

"Can I get a kissy, Sakura?" Xing asked, pulling himself from my gentle grip.

Sakura's eyes shifted to mine, locking me in her beautiful, green eyes.

It was only when she raised a brow that I realized she was asking if it was alright.

What other choice did I have?

So, I gave her a slight nod to go ahead.

"Come here, you," she said in a teasing tone, making Xing giggle and lean forward so she could kiss his cheek.

Watching the scene made my lip curve up slightly at the sight.

There was something endearing about it...

I wasn't sure what, but there was something about it that seemed too appealing, even for my own liking.

"Fish kiss!" I heard Xing exclaim, snapping me out of my thoughts.

He grabbed Sakura's face and kissed her lips with a loud smacking sound. She didn't even look shocked, which shocked me. She just laughed, causing this weird feeling to stir inside me. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad...

"Come on, Xing," I said softly.

"I'll see you later, right?" he asked Sakura.

"Right," she said before Xing climbed out of the car.

I closed the door behind him after telling Sakura I would be back. I held his hand as we walked in silence to the building.

It was only when he stopped walking that made me realize the tight grip on my hand. I turned to him to stoop down to his level.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

"Am I going to see you today after school, so we can play?" he asked.

My eyes widened, surprised by that question. "Xing—"

"Because it's not fair that I don't get to see you anymore. You said that I should be fair, so you have to be fair too!" he explained, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly.

I stared at him apologetically, not wanting to answer that question. "Xing, you know I would if I could –"

"No, you wouldn't! You never play with me anymore!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence.

"Come here," I said, holding my arms open for him.

He vigorously shook his head, wiping at his eyes angrily to get rid of the threatening tears. "No! I-it's not fair anymore, Daddy. Even Sakura loves me more than you do!"

My heart nearly broke, and I grabbed his arm, pulling him over into my arms.

He struggled against me, but I held him tightly. "That's not true. What's really going on, Xing? Tell daddy what's wrong so he can fix it," I said brokenly.

"You're never fair! You never want to play, and you never want to see me—"

"I'll come home today, okay?" I said into his ear.

The sobs suddenly stopped at once. "R-really?" he asked hopefully.

I released him, pulling back so I could look him in the face. "I promise that I'll try my hardest to get home today to see you," I said, meaning every word spoken.

He sniffed, using the back of his hands to wipe his tears away as a smile slowly crept to his face. "Okay..." he said quietly and then hugged me tightly.

I silently sighed, hugging him back while praying that I really could.

We walked inside the building, bidding each other goodbye as usual before he ran off to play with the other kids.

I turned to the teacher, stopping her before she could leave. "Hey, I know it's the first week, but is everything alright with Xing?" I asked.

Her brows scrunched together in confusion as she slowly nodded her head. "Everything's great. He's the most advanced amongst his peers, and he gets along with everyone just fine. Is there something he mentioned?" she asked, looking a little concerned.

Silently, I sighed again, shaking my head. I didn't want to cause any trouble for her. "No. I was just making sure," I said.

She nodded. "Of course. You know that I'll inform you of anything that makes him uncomfortable," she said.

I nodded. "Alright."

With that response, I bid her goodbye before walking back to my car where Sakura was, feeling like the lowest human being on Earth. Something was wrong or going on with my kid, and I didn't even know what it was.

Once I settled into the car, I turned to her, surprised to see her staring at me.

"So, we're going out this weekend?" she asked, a smile beginning to play at her lips.

I shifted my eyes from her direction when I felt my face going a little hot.

Her smile was...

I turned the car on and cleared my throat. "If he's up for it," I said.

"I'm sure he will be, as long as you're with him," she said softly.

I looked in her direction again, seeing her stare down at the phone, though she didn't have it on. "What's wrong?" I asked, not able to stop myself from asking.

"It's..." she stopped.

"Yes?" I pressed impatiently.

She sighed and smiled sadly. "It's nothing."

"Sakura," I called softly.

"It's nothing, Syaoran," she insisted, annoying me a little.

I let it go and began to drive. It was quiet... and need I say, awkward.

Still, I didn't say a word, nervous that I'd ruin what we had so far, which was...

 _What do we have?_

"Are you going to come home early today?" I heard her ask beside me.

I briefly looked in her direction before training my eyes on the road again. I sighed, remembering exactly why I was the lowest human walking the Earth. "I'll try," I said quietly.

"You know... I don't think that you're a bad father," she said softly.

At hearing that, my heart began to drum against my chest loudly, making me wonder if she could hear it. My skin formed goosebumps and I could feel my face going hot at her compliment.

I didn't say anything, wondering I _really_ wanted her approval of me.

"Xing doesn't think so either. He thinks so highly of you. He talks about you non-stop and he..." she sighed. "He loves you, despite when he says otherwise."

I could feel my mood brightening a bit. I swallowed, hands tightening around the steering wheel. "It's hard to tell sometimes," I said.

"He does. I can tell," she said, sounding so sure about it.

Maybe she was right...

"How?" I asked.

She hummed. "Simply by the fact that he's desperate for your love," she said.

I didn't say anything for the remainder of the ride.

"Do you want to..." I trailed off when I pulled up to the school.

She turned to me with an adorable expression on her face that showed confusion.

"Instead of riding home with Kenta, I was thinking you could ride with me when I pick Xing up," I said hesitantly.

When she didn't say anything, my eyes shifted from hers, feeling my cheeks warm.

She could always say no instead of keeping it awkward between us...

"We could be discovered," she said softly.

I looked at her hesitantly. "We won't," I said, not really thinking about the consequences of that happening.

It wasn't like there were reporters following me around, nor did they know what kind of car I owned. I had purposely chosen this one, so I didn't stand out from everyone here.

I didn't need any attention to be drawn on me or Xing. I just wanted my stay here to be peaceful and quiet. I wanted Xing to live a normal life as much as he could too, so that wouldn't ever be an issue.

I had been at the school long enough to see that there weren't many other students around when I left, so we should be fine.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I nodded.

She let out a small sigh and smiled at me. "If you're sure, then alright," she said.

I looked away, feeling my cheeks warm at her smile and tone of voice.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"I'll see you later," she said, stepping out of the car, and then waving at me.

I nodded at her before she closed the door behind her.

I released a breath I didn't know I had been holding around her.

Why was I suddenly feeling different towards her after one night?

* * *

"Alright, class. Don't forget to do the assigned homework," I said in a dismissing tone.

Everyone began to gather their things as usual and stood from their seats.

I watched as everyone left the classroom, responding to any questions or statements that they had about the lecture.

When I heard laughter in the back of the classroom, my eyes followed the sound, blocking out the person who was currently talking to me about something I mentioned in class about marketing.

Damn it, here I was again, getting distracted by that sound.

Why couldn't I concentrate in her presence? Everything was much easier to do with her not being around...

I internally cringed at that thought, remembering how I had humiliated her the other day in my class.

She didn't deserve that kind of treatment from me, just because I couldn't deal with my own emotions towards her...

Was I really becoming an asshole?

I looked away from her direction when I felt my cheeks warm when her eyes briefly met mine with a smile on her mouth.

I answered the question that the student asked me with a half answer before wrapping up the conversation.

Once everyone left the room, I headed to my office, closing the door behind me.

I sat in the chair, instantly resting my head in my hand, tugging on my hair.

30 minutes...

I had 30 minutes to rest and finally take a breather away from the world. _My_ world, that seemed to be a bit too much for me nowadays.

It was Sakura's fault...

I sighed, shaking my head.

No, it wasn't her fault.

I needed to stop doing that; putting all the blame on her like she had done something. She didn't do anything wrong.

It was just easy to put the blame on her for everything since she was here and...

I sighed, feeling a sting of guilt stab at my chest.

No, this wasn't right. _I_ wasn't right for this.

I wouldn't do it anymore; try to take advantage of her kind and sweet nature, or how naive she could be at times.

I honestly felt disgusted with myself. She had not done anything besides treat me and my son with kindness...

My heart tightened in my chest, thinking about Xing and his behavior this morning.

How had I not noticed sooner that he really wasn't happy as my mind forced me to believe?

How long had he been so sad that I couldn't be around as much as he wanted me to be?

And how the hell had Sakura picked up on this behavior before I even had the chance?

 _Because she's always around..._

It had only been a few weeks since she arrived, yet she knew so much more about my kid than I almost did.

"Uh...are you okay?"

My head shot up in the direction of the familiar voice instantly.

"Kinomo—Sakura," I stuttered, feeling my face heat up at her presence after thinking about her.

"Are you okay? Your face looked all confused and then red. Are you not feeling well?" she asked, sounding so confused and lost, yet concerned at the same time.

I silently took a deep breath and then let it out, blowing out some of the steam in my face.

 _Get it together, Xiao Lang._

"Yes. You should go head out, and I'll be right behind you," I said in a calm tone.

I didn't need her finding out how nervous and weird I was feeling around her now.

"Alright," she said with a smile before leaving my office.

I looked around my office, letting out another relieved sigh at letting her escape without my hormones coming in the way again.

That needed to stop as well.

She was 17.

I knew that. Clearly, I did, considering how much my mind kept reminding me almost every minute of the day.

She acted naive and innocent sometimes, but there were also traits about her that was mature that I noticed the moment we met. Perhaps, that's what made me feel attracted to her immediately.

She was always spaced out or in a daze as if she were deep in thought. But then, she would be very perceptive and observant sometimes. Especially when it came to Xing.

She was independent the moment I met her, determined to do what she had to do in order to survive in the world without a caregiver.

It was clear that she didn't like to depend on others, especially after the first night we met, and she didn't want me to pay for her food.

Instead, she resorted to saying that she wasn't hungry, when clearly, she was. She had been sitting at the corporation all day, watching _my_ kid without anyone even asking her to.

After I had someone run a background check on her, I saw so much that she had been through, yet she seemed happy as though she had been through nothing. She had lost her mother, father, and brother.

How was she even capable of walking around with a _smile_ on her face?

I couldn't tell if she was human or not. What sane person could still work right after they lost someone dear to them as if nothing had happened?

Because of her strong, independent, and ambition traits, it made me want to take care of her.

She didn't need to work so hard at her age when she didn't have to. She didn't deserve to be thrown in such a cruel world without any preparations. She was forced into it without any warning, so I wanted to protect her. I felt the strongest urge to protect her from this ugly world, because once in it, there was no escaping it.

She had me now and my intentions were to keep her safe and protected under my care. And it would all start with me treating her right.

 _Right_.

I stood up from my chair, grabbing my things and followed out after her.

After looking around outside, I noticed that there wasn't anyone around, so I walked towards her as she stood at my car.

I unlocked the door for her from a far and she opened the door, climbing inside. I slid in the car next, closing the door after me.

The doors automatically locked when I turned the car on, making my heart beat a little faster than normal.

 _Okay, Xiao Lang... calm down and just act normal...and apologize..._

"Sakura," I called, turning to her.

When her head turned towards me, eyes staring at me curiously, all thoughts vanished from my head. I couldn't even remember why I had called her.

"Are you okay, Syaoran-kun?" she asked. "Your face has been looking a bit flustered all day."

 _Shit..._

Had she noticed me staring at her every move?

"Uh...yeah," I said nervously. "I just..."

"Yes?" she asked curiously.

I swallowed, turning away from her to focus on leaving the school.

"I'm fine," I said shortly, pulling out of the parking lot.

The ride to Xing's school was quiet and awkward, but I was okay with that.

I couldn't afford to humiliate myself again.

"Uh..."

I briefly looked in her direction, but trained my eyes on the road immediately, after hearing her voice.

"I was thinking of joining the cheerleading club this semester like I always do," she said.

My jaw clenched, mind already thinking about how she would look in a cheerleading uniform.

 ** _No_** _, stop right there._

"Okay," I said.

"Yeah...so, I would have to get home a little later..." she trailed off.

"What?" I was confused at what she was trying to say before it hit me. "Oh. It'll be fine...Kenta could stay with Xing for a little while until you finish," I said.

"Okay," she said. "I could ride the bus home instead of making them wait around."

I sighed, shaking my head. "No, I still don't feel comfortable with that idea," I said, dismissing the idea from the topic immediately.

I still didn't like the thought of her being around so many strangers...people that I didn't know, or trust to not put her in harm's way.

"Really, I'll be fine, Syaoran," she said in an insisting tone.

"Sakura," I said, hoping that she would take the hint in my voice that I really didn't feel comfortable with the idea.

"You're very kind," she said sweetly, surprising me.

"Wh-what?" I stuttered, feeling my cheeks warm.

"You're just worried that something bad could happen to me," she said.

"N-no! I just..."

I was glad when Xing's school was in sight, so I quickly parked the car, and turned it off.

"I-it shouldn't take long," I told her as I opened the door.

"Okay," she said quietly.

I stepped out, being glad to get away from her. I could finally breath and think correctly.

Worried about her?

Of course, I wasn't worried about her. I just didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

"How was he today?" I asked when I arrived in the building after signing Xing out.

"He was good, had a little tantrum when one of the kids didn't want to share with him," his teacher said.

I looked down at Xing with a raised brow, only to see him looking down at his shoes sheepishly.

"Alright, thank you," I said.

She told me a few more things about his day and how he was before we were now walking out of the building.

"Why'd you act out today?" I asked in a gentle tone.

I didn't want to come off as mean or upset with him because I wasn't. I was genuinely confused about what had been on his mind lately.

He didn't normally act out and he was certainly acting off today. He didn't even seem excited to see me.

"Kaitou didn't want to share his markers with me..." he said quietly, holding onto my hand tightly.

"They were his crayons, though," I said in a reasoning tone.

He didn't respond.

I stopped walking and stooped down to his height. I grabbed his shoulders, gently turning him to me so he could look me in the eyes.

"What's going on? I heard that you acted out yesterday too," I said softly.

His eyes began to fill with tears, almost breaking my heart. "I..."

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling him to a nearby bench on the side with me.

"Yesterday, the other kids were talking about their mommy's and, and, and," he hiccupped and began to sob.

"Xing," I called, pulling him over into my lap to hold him tightly.

I hated this... _so_ much. I couldn't even do anything about it.

"And, I know..." he sniffed uncontrollably, trying to get his breathing under control.

"Take deep breaths," I said, rubbing his back gently.

He did as I told him before he calmed down a bit. "I know that I can never see her again, but it's..."

More tears spilled down his cheeks, making the back of my own eyes burn with tears, but I suppressed the urge to let them fall.

"It's hard sometimes when everyone else has a mommy, Daddy. Sakura makes me happy...very happy, but you're never here! Sometimes I want to play with you too. Even though mommy isn't here anymore, I'm still happy that I have daddy with me, but you don't love me anymore. You never want to be with me..." he said sadly.

"I love you, okay?" I said, though I didn't sound convincing.

I just wanted him to understand that I _really_ do. I didn't know how to though.

He sniffed, moving back a little so he could look me directly in the eyes. "Then, why don't you want to play with me anymore?" he asked.

"I do want to. I really want to, but there's work that I have to do too. I work hard at my job every day for you, so I can give you food to eat, a bed to sleep in. Even all your awesome toys. I work hard for you, Xing, so it's not that I don't want to be here with you all the time because I do. I even work hard to keep Sakura here with you," I said, hoping that he understood what I meant.

His tears stopped falling and his mouth opened in awe. "R-really? So, you work very hard to keep Sakura here with us?" he asked.

Why didn't I think that he would pick that, of all the things I said, to ask about?

"Of course. She needs a place to stay and people to care for her. Also, she wants to be here for you too, so I'm giving her all of that," I said.

I didn't realize how truthful that statement was until I actually said it.

A smile crept to his lips and he wiped his tears away. "Okay. If daddy has to work very hard to keep me happy, I can be happy," he said.

"Really?" I asked, pulling him to my chest so I could hold him tightly.

"Yes," he said softly into my shirt.

"I promise that I'll find one day out of the week to spend all of my time with you. No work, no phone calls, or anything that could cause any distractions to take my attention away from you," I said in a determined tone.

"So... like our Saturdays, except you won't stop them fast because of work?" he asked.

"Yes, I promise," I said.

"Pinky promise?" he asked, looking up at me suspiciously.

I could feel a small smile tugging at my lip. I held my pinky up.

His face brightened up, and he linked his pinky with mine. "It's a deal then!" he exclaimed.

I let out a relieved sigh, ruffling his hair with my other hand before I stood up, placing him on his feet carefully. "We have to hurry. Sakura's sitting in the car waiting for us," I said.

He gasped, pulling the string of his bag up on his arm. "Oh no! We have to hurry then," he said, already taking off towards the exit.

I rushed after him, grabbing his hand so he wouldn't run out in the middle of the parking lot.

I sighed in relief, glad that I was able to have that talk with him.

I had a slight clue that it had something to do with his mom.

How could I act so blind to the fact that the other kids would talk about their mom's?

I opened the car door for Xing and he immediately jumped in, reaching to the front seat to wrap his arms around Sakura's neck in a hug.

"I missed you so much!" he said loudly in her ear, making her flinch a bit.

She giggled, gently grabbing his arms from around her neck. "I missed you too," she said in a caring tone.

I took a deep breath to hold myself back from telling her to stop acting so caring towards her.

She wasn't acting...

I think she meant it at this point. I couldn't explain why else she would seem so concerned for us.

"What took you guys so long?" she asked me once I settled in the car on the driver's side.

I looked at her, seeing the concern in her eyes. Looking away, I shrugged my shoulder nonchalantly. "Had to talk with his teacher," I said.

That may not have been the reason we were gone for so long, but it certainly wasn't a lie.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in a quiet tone, so Xing wouldn't hear.

I nodded. "Nothing for you to worry about," I said, turning the car on.

The ride to the house was peaceful, especially listening to Xing talk about his day in the familiar cheerful tone that he normally has.

As soon as we pulled up to the house, Xing asked if he could take a nap because he was tired.

"It'll only be an hour nap," I informed him.

"Okay! And then, when I wake up, I can play with daddy and Sakura! Right?" he asked the last part quietly.

A small smile crossed my lips and I nodded. "Of course. Come on," I said, already unbuckling his car seat from the front.

I stepped out of the car and helped him out next.

After he was out, I turned to Sakura who was reaching down to grab her bag out of the car.

When a mental image appeared in my head of her bending down in a different position, my eyes shifted from hers. "Uh... I'll put him down while you get settled in," I said awkwardly.

 _Fuck, I need to get it together!_

I was acting off today because of one stupid realization about the girl.

"Okay," she said, voice sounding relieved a little.

We all walked in the house, only going our separate ways when we entered the hall way where Xing's room was.

I changed him into more comfortable clothes before putting him into bed.

"When I wake up, you'll be here, right?" he asked in a timid voice.

"Of course. I promised that I'd be here this morning, didn't I?" I asked.

He smiled a little, nodding his head as his eyes began to droop a little. "I'll see you then," he said.

I nodded before his eyes closed. I sighed, standing from the stooping position. I walked out of his room, leaving the door cracked open a little and then headed to my office to get more work done.

I felt a bit conflicted with myself on whether or not to spend time with Sakura or get more work done.

In the end, I decided to go with the work.

Nothing good would come out of spending time with her. I'd probably just do something stupid again.

Like kissing her.

My cheeks grew unnecessarily hot at the reminder of her soft lips against mine.

Kissing had never felt so good at those few times that we had done it already.

I just shouldn't have convinced her that we should keep doing it...

Knowing that she would kiss back and feel okay with it, made it so much easier to initiate the act now.

I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have!

What was I thinking? Why was I acting so stupid? Why was it becoming easier to accept her with opened-arms?

Wait, why am I even still thinking about her when I should be doing work?

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, frustrated.

With the way my mind was working right now, I might as well just spend time with her.

I stood from the chair and left my office, closing the door behind me.

We had...

I looked down at my watch to see that I had been thinking about her for the last ten minutes.

So, I had 50 minutes to spend with her without Xing interrupting...

Shit, that sounded so wrong.

We weren't going to do anything besides talk like we had last night...

 _That's all..._

I began to walk down the hall until I heard a loud sound and a squeak that followed after it. I rushed to the kitchen where I heard the noise, only to see Sakura sprawled out on the floor, grabbing her head.

I rushed to her side, stooping down to her. "Are you okay?" I asked in a tone that I assumed, as worry. I grabbed her arm, helping her sit up.

She laughed nervously, leaning into my grip. "Yes, I just...fell," she said lamely.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, searching to see if she had any marks.

"I'm fine. My bum is just a little sore," she said reassuringly.

I felt myself relax when I didn't see any before annoyance crept in. "What the hell were you doing?" I asked, glaring at her a little.

Her cheeks turned a rosy color. "I couldn't reach something from the counter, so I..."

I sighed, standing up while gently pulling her up with me. "Don't be so careless," I said under my breath.

"I'm sorry," she said nervously, surprising me. "I didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking at all because what person who thinks, think to climb on top of the counter to get something they want and—"

I gently squeezed her arm to calm her down a bit. "Okay," I said gently.

She took a deep breath and then let it out. "U-uh..." Her cheeks turned even more red. "I didn't disturb you or anything, did I?" she asked uncertainly.

"No. I wanted to talk to you," I said honestly.

Her eyes widened as if she were horrified of something. "I didn't do anything wrong again, did I?" she asked.

Before I could control it, a smile crept to my lips. "No, I wanted to apologize," I said.

She swallowed. "For what?" she asked quietly.

"U-uh..." I stuttered.

"Hmm?"

"If I've made you uncomfortable about anything, I'm sorry," I said, hoping that she would take the hint.

"Uncomfortable how?" she asked.

I cleared my throat and stared in her eyes determinedly.

I couldn't place my finger on why I was acting nervous so suddenly, but it needed to stop right now.

"Kissing you," I said boldly.

A blush formed on her entire face at my statement, making me feel a bit relieved for some reason.

"I-it's not that it made me feel uncomfortable," she said softly.

"I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything I initiate or ask of. I didn't notice that I was coming off as pushy in the moment," I explained.

"Of course, you weren't. I chose to do what I did...and, you didn't make me," she said reassuringly.

I silently sighed in relief. "Okay. Just because I'm allowing you to live here and paying you, I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything you're uncomfortable with," I said.

"Did kissing me make you feel uncomfortable?" she asked in a small voice.

It was only when she flexed her arm that I noticed I still had a grasp on her, so I released it with a soft apology.

"A little," I said truthfully.

When her face fell, I was quick to finish my sentence. "Only because of your age," I said.

"I'm 17..."

"Exactly. You're still a minor and what I did to you is unacceptable," I said in a tone filled of shame.

"Is that how you really view me?" she asked in a challenging tone.

I stared in her eyes, seeing a fierceness that I never had before.

"No," I almost whispered.

"Then, there's no need to feel uncomfortable," she said. "I'll be 18 in less than a year from now, so it's not like you've done anything wrong. I know what I did, and you didn't force me to do it," she said in a reassuring tone.

I sighed. "That's not the point. I shouldn't even look at you in that way," I said in a conflicted tone.

"What way?" she asked quietly.

I stared at her face, seeing that she was really curious.

"Like a man looks at a woman," I said, hearing my tone turn dark.

Her cheeks colored, and her tongue swiped across her bottom lip, setting my body on fire.

When she didn't say anything, I moved closer to her, letting my hand move up to her face to caress her soft, hot cheeks uncontrollably. "You don't feel threatened by me, right?" I asked gently, letting the rough pad of my thumb caress her skin again.

Her emeralds turned a darker shade as she stared into my eyes. She shook her head slightly.

"Are you sure?" I asked, leaning down towards her face to kiss her.

I could hear her rapid breathing as she shook her head again.

 _I should stop..._

No, I **needed** to stop before things spiraled out of control. I didn't want to scare her; scar her...

I wanted her to trust me, for whatever reason, so why was I still leaning down to get a taste of those lips? Why did feeling her body against mine feel so right, even though it was so wrong?

Wait, why were her eyes closed and lips slightly puckered?!

Just when our lips were mere centimeters apart, I closed my eyes tightly, so I couldn't see her flushed face and slightly parted lips before I pulled away.

Before I could get too far from her, I felt soft fingers grab my arm tightly.

I looked down at the fingers, seeing that it was Sakura's.

I looked up to see her staring at me determinedly. "U-uh...I'm..." she stuttered, looking away uncomfortably when our eyes met.

I turned my body towards her completely and used my hand to gently force her face to look directly at mine. "What is it?" I asked, curious about her reaction right now.

"W-why?" Her eyes averted from mine shyly, annoying me slightly.

At times like this, I hate that I couldn't read her mind. It was always easy to tell what she was thinking when she looked at me, but she always seemed to fail to do so.

"Sakura," I called to get her attention.

"W-why did you stop?" she finally asked after the long silence.

I could feel my face soften at her question, finally understanding what she was thinking. I had just told her that I wanted to do it often, if she wanted to. And now, I was rejecting her and the idea of it…

I wanted to tell her because it was wrong, though; that I could get in trouble. And, that this...whatever between us wouldn't get anywhere because of her age, my morals, my family, society, and the list could go on.

But, I didn't. Even though I should have, I didn't.

Instead, my hand moved up to gently cup the back of her head, pulling her face towards mine so I could rid of the space between our lips.

As soon as our lips touched, everything felt right. There was no huge weight on my shoulder, and the huge weight was lifted off my chest.

With her around, I didn't feel the need to think about anything else.

Work didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was Xing and her...

She was exactly the person I needed, instead of everyone and thing, that everyone else suggested that I needed.

So, I would take this—her, rather than listen to what everyone else had to say about my needs.

I would take it slow...and not ruin her in the process of finally appreciating her being around. The least I could do is show her gratitude by offering her some form of relationship, whether it was friendship or something.

I pulled back from her lips before it could turn into a real kiss. I wanted to do this right.

Involving myself in an inappropriate relationship with her certainly wasn't the right way to go, so I could start with a friendship.

It wasn't like she would be here long enough to have anything more with her anyway.

"A-are you okay?" I heard her familiar angelic voice ask timidly.

I nodded, dropping my hands from her face.

"Xing's..." I started, knowing that this would be the official start of this new relationship that I had just decided to form on my own without her knowing.

"Hmm?"

I took a deep breath before releasing it. "Xing's mother passed away two years ago," I finally said.

Her eyes widened, hand covering her mouth in disbelief.

"There was a plane crash that happened in Hong Kong a while back and... she was in it," I said quietly.

"I'm so sorry," she said brokenly behind her hands.

At hearing that tone, I looked at her, only to see her eyes watering with tears.

"Don't cry," I said helplessly, turning to her.

"I'm sorry, but," she choked back a sob. "I'm sorry." For some reason, it didn't sound like she was apologizing for the death of Meixia, but something else.

Before I knew it, tears were already streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably, causing panic to rise in my chest.

I did the first thing I could think of; grabbed her helpless form and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Her sobbing didn't stop, but it sure fell a little silent as she stood frozen in my arms.

"It's not something you should cry about. We're okay, so don't worry about it, okay?" I said into her hair.

She sniffed, nodding her head against my shoulder. "It's just... I've been—"

The doorbell rang, instantly making me release Sakura and step a few feet from her.

I sighed, knowing who it was. "Dry your face please so she doesn't think I did anything..." I said with a frown.

She sniffed and then wiped her eyes. "S-sorry..." she stuttered.

I placed my hand on top of her head, leaning down to kiss her forehead without much thought into why I felt the need to.

"Stop apologizing..." I whispered against her skin before leaving to answer the door.

It was exactly who I expected it to be.

Hana.

"Surprise to see you here, Master Li," she said in a playful tone.

I nodded, moving to the side so she could come inside. "I needed to talk to Xing's teacher," I said.

Her brows scrunched together. "Everything alright?" she asked in concern.

I nodded, leading her to the kitchen.

"Hello, Sakura!" she greeted Sakura excitedly.

How many times had they interacted with each other as if they were longtime friends excited to see each other after being apart for a long time?

"Hello, Hana-san!" Sakura said, rushing over and giving her a hug.

It was like she had not shed any tears or experienced any sorrow a few seconds ago.

"Where's Xing?" she asked, looking around for him.

"Sleeping," Sakura and I said at the same time, surprising me.

We looked at each other for a moment before she looked away with a blush on her face.

"I see," she said thoughtfully.

I wonder what she was thinking about...

"It's okay, Hana-san. Syaoran will help us prepare for dinner," Sakura said, volunteering me without my permission.

I looked at her with a raised brow, wondering if she was serious or not.

She grinned at me, causing my cheeks to warm a little, but I looked away quickly to get rid of the fluttering sensation in my stomach.

"Really?" Hana asked, looking at me questioningly.

When my eyes looked to Sakura, I saw an encouraging smile on her face, making me feel obligated to help out.

"Yes," I said shortly.

"That's very kind of you. How about you two just start with setting the table," Hana said, giving me a knowing smile.

I couldn't help but feel my cheeks warm a little before I looked away from her.

I was almost sure she would hold this over my head...

* * *

"And, sensei gave us all gold stars!" Xing exclaimed excitedly, as he rested against me on the couch.

"Wow! Really?" Sakura said, feigning shock as she sat on the other side of him.

We had just finished dinner, so we were sitting on the couch, 'watching' tv as Xing told us all about his day.

"Yeah, and it's all because of daddy!" he said, grinning at me.

A small smile tugged on my lip. "How so?" I asked.

"Because you taught me everything I know. And the more we know and do, the more stars we get!" he exclaimed.

I ruffled his hair, making him pout. "Sakura, tell daddy not to mess up my hair," he said.

My ears perked, hearing her soft giggle.

"It's already a mess, though," she said teasingly, ruffling his hair too.

He groaned, swatting her hand away. "Daddy, Sakura's being a meanie," he whined to me.

I held back a chuckle, shaking my head. "Well, how about we go out and get ice cream? None for Sakura," I suggested without thinking.

My eyes shifted over to Sakura's, seeing her stare at me with mischief in her eyes.

 _Fuck. Look away..._

Xing burst into a fit of giggles, jumping directly on to my lap. "Really?!" he said.

I smiled a little, nodding my head. "Of course," I said, standing, but picking him up with me.

He squirmed down out of my arms, turning to Sakura. "You'll come with us, right?" he asked.

"Just so I can watch you guys eat ice cream?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Xing turned to me, pulling on my arm, making me stoop down. He motioned with his hands for me to put my ear against him.

"Can we surprise her by getting her ice cream too?" he whispered.

I smiled, nodding my head, eyes shifting up to her. There was a blush evident on her cheeks when our eyes met.

"You can come too," Xing said, nodding his head too with a grin on his face.

I smiled, hearing her giggle as she stood from the couch. "Only because I was invited and it's rude to reject an invitation without a valid reason," she said, talking directly to Xing, though her eyes were on me.

"Yay! We can get our favorite ice cream! Chocolate," Xing exclaimed, already running out of the living room to, where I'd assume, the front door.

Leaving Sakura and I alone...

I cleared my throat to rid of the awkward tension in the room. "We should head after him," I said, almost awkwardly.

"Y-yeah," she stuttered, already walking out of the living room.

We had not really said much else to each other after I revealed where Xing's mother was and her breakdown.

I couldn't tell if she felt uncomfortable around me now, or if she really didn't think much about it.

It was getting hard to read her these days...

I sighed, walking out of the living room to where they were so we could leave.

The ride to the ice cream shop was uneventful, aside from Xing talking to us about ice cream and anything that came to his mind.

We ordered our ice creams and went to sit at one of the tables outside.

I was sure to keep my eyes opened for anyone or camera that could be around, but lucky enough, there weren't any.

It was kind of relaxing here. Not too many or too little people.

There were mainly parents with their kids, or other couples who were too focused on each other to even notice us sitting here.

"Your ice cream's going to melt, Daddy!" Xing said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked down at my hand with the ice cream, noticing it did start dripping a bit.

I sighed, licking it to keep from making a mess.

"My ice cream's melting too!" he said, quickly licking it.

I heard Sakura giggle, making me remember that she was here with us.

I looked in her direction.

Big. Mistake.

Possibly the biggest mistake I had ever made in my life because I was sporting the biggest boner I had ever had in public for the first time in my life.

Eating ice cream wasn't supposed to be such a sinful thing, yet here she was, making something so innocent look so sensual...

Or, maybe it was me. Of course, it was me; not her. I had just said I would stop blaming her for my stupid mind.

This wasn't her, it was me sexualizing her licking that damn ice cream like it was—

"Li-sensei? Sakura?"

I looked up, hearing an unfamiliar voice address me as their teacher.

My eyes widened, seeing one of my students look at us in a questioning manner that read, "what the hell is this?"

It wasn't just any student...

It was Daidouji, the last person I wanted to find out about this.

Double fuck.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, guys! I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I'm back! I have a lot more free time to update now since the semester's over.**

 **Anyway, what did you guys think of the chapter? He finally revealed where Xing's mother was! It was kind of in a casual manner, which was purposely done. I didn't want to give away too much about his and Xing's background.**

 **But, I should have the next chapter out soon(sorry for the cliffy :P), so you guys won't have to wait too long again!**

 **Ja ne!**


	18. The Full Truth

**"The Full Truth"**

* * *

I didn't curse...

I never swore, but...

Shit!

What was I going to say? What was there to say, to my best friend who is standing in front of us, asking what we were doing here together?!

I didn't want her to find out this way. I was supposed to tell her myself, but now...

My fingers tightened around the ice cream cone in my hand slightly, but not enough to crush it.

"T-Tomoyo—"

"Would you like to join us? I ran into Kinomoto on the way here, while taking my son Xing out for ice cream," Syaoran interrupted me before I could explain myself to her.

At hearing his explanation for me being here with them, I could feel the heat of anger rise in my chest.

He still wanted to lie? No, he still wanted _me_ to lie to my best friend, even after she had seen us together, in public?

Just when I thought...

Tomoyo looked at Xing who was sitting in the chair, licking his ice cream. A warm smile formed on her lips before she nodded. "If I'm not intruding," she said kindly.

This was so like her to do that...

"Of course not. Here, take this and go get some ice cream," he said casually, handing her money.

"Oh, that's not necessary, Li-sensei—"

"I'm insisting," he said, pushing the money towards her. "Please."

"Well...alright," Tomoyo said, taking the money from him.

The moment she left, I turned to Syaoran with a glare on my face. "Do you expect me to still hide this from her?" I hissed, forgetting about our surroundings.

He looked at me, eyes widened by my question. "Excuse me?" he asked, sounding offended.

"She's my best friend, Syaoran. She's seen us together, in public. Do you really think I can keep this from her still? She's going to have questions, she's going to know, and she's going to—"

"And you're not going to say a word to her about this," he said sternly, interrupting me.

My eyes widened, looking at him incredulously. "Are you seri—"

"Yes, I'm serious. You're not going to say anything—"

"It's been long enough, so I will!" I said defiantly.

Who did he think he was? What happened to the guy who was starting to act nice?

"No, you know why—"

"Don't fight! Don't fight!" A little voice beside me interrupted.

I looked over, seeing Xing stare at us with threatening tears in his eyes.

My heart wrenched, having forgotten that he was here with us.

"I'm sorry, we're not fighting, sweetie," I said in a calming tone.

"Xing, you are not to say a word about Sakura living with us, understood?" Syaoran said, staring at Xing.

I frowned, feeling slightly offended that he would go as far to tell Xing not to either.

Xing frowned. "Why?" he asked sadly.

At this moment, I wanted to jump across the table and strangle the man for making me and Xing feel this way.

Was he so ashamed of me staying here and watching his son?

We were just fine an hour ago, and now...

"We will talk about it later, buddy. Just do as I tell you now," Syaoran said in a much gentler tone.

What.

The.

Hell.

"Yes, sir," Xing said quietly.

That's when Tomoyo came back over, sitting in the chair next to me with her ice cream in hand.

She gave me a knowing look, that I knew meant, 'I want details of everything, later.'

"Thank you again, Li-sensei," she said, taking a lick from her ice cream.

"It's no problem. Is your mother around the area as well?" he asked casually, making my blood boil even more.

"No, sir. I was just out, looking around," she said. "And who's this cutie sitting over here?"

Xing's face flushed slightly, and he licked his ice cream, shyly.

"My son, Xing. You don't want to introduce yourself, Xing?" Syaoran asked, almost sounding like he was encouraging him to.

Xing shook his head, no, and continued to taste his ice cream.

Xing certainly wasn't this shy and quiet when I first met him...

"That's okay. My mom said I was also shy as a kid," Tomoyo said with a smile.

"He's not normally this shy," Syaoran said.

"That's alright. Speaking of quiet, what are you doing out?" Tomoyo asked, looking me in the eyes as if she were trying to read me.

I looked away, not wanting to give myself away. Not in front of him, at least.

"U-uh..." I stuttered.

"I ran into her down the street from here," Syaoran said, coming up with a lie on the spot.

I wanted to strangle some sense into him for lying so easily to my best friend. Tomoyo didn't deserve this, especially since she had been there for me from the beginning.

"Oh, your uncle wasn't with you?"

"Uncle?" Syaoran questioned, looking me directly in the eyes.

I could feel my cheeks warm and my eyes strayed from his, embarrassed that I had been exposed. "W-well, yeah. I stay with my uncle and his family," I said, letting my eyes lock with Tomoyo's.

"Oh, I didn't know that," he said, sounding slightly offended.

I didn't care for a change.

"So, how's your mother doing?" Syaoran asked Tomoyo.

I was relieved that I was no longer the center of attention, or I might have said something that could get me in trouble.

They carried on the conversation between each other as me and Xing kept quiet, listening to them.

I couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into Xing suddenly...

When we all finished our ice creams, Tomoyo stood from the chair, along with us.

"I have to get going. My drivers are here," she said, smiling at us. "Oh, would you like a ride home, Sakura?"

I shook my head slowly, tempted to tell her yes, just to see what he would say. I wasn't that bold, though. "It's alright. I'll walk back. I need the fresh evening air," I said, smiling at her.

She nodded before she bid us goodbye.

"We should go," Syaoran said quietly.

Instead of responding, I just stood from the chair and started walking back to the car alone.

I didn't have anything nice to say, so I was sticking by my father's favorite quote, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I stood at the door, waiting for him and Xing to hurry up and get over here.

I just wanted to get back to the house, so I could be in the confinements of my room; away from _him_.

When they finally got here, Syaoran unlocked the door, which I immediately opened and climbed inside.

The ride back to the house was awkward and silent, allowing my mind to drift back to Xing who was sitting in the back seat quietly. He still had not said anything since he told us to stop fighting.

Oh no...

I really hope he wasn't upset because of us.

When we pulled up to the house, I got out the car, and went to the back to unbuckle Xing from the car seat.

He still didn't say anything, but just stared blankly ahead.

"Come on," I said, helping him out of the car.

When we got in the house, Syaoran said something about him needing to get work done before he disappeared into his office, leaving me alone with Xing.

I was quick to turn to him when we sat in the living room alone with the tv on.

"Xing, what's wrong?" I asked immediately after making sure that Syaoran wasn't around.

"Mommy and Daddy used to fight all the time..." he said quietly.

My face softened, realizing that our mini argument had affected Xing after all.

"We weren't fighting, okay?" I said softly.

He sniffed, looking at me. "But, you guys were loud," he said quietly.

I pulled him to my side, holding him a little tightly. "I'm sorry, okay? No, _we're_ sorry. We weren't fighting, just talking loudly when we shouldn't have been," I tried to explain.

"Okay..." he said against my chest.

We sat in silence as I held him before I felt my eyelids getting heavy.

When I felt Xing relax in my arms, I knew it was okay to fall asleep.

* * *

"Sakura."

I cuddled closer to the soft thing I was holding, ignoring the voice that had been calling my name for the last 60-seconds.

"Sakura."

This time, I felt a hand shaking me gently.

I knew it was time to get up from the half-slumber I was in.

The hand shook me again, making my eyes slowly open.

I sat up from my lying position and looked around until my eyes landed on a person who was standing in front of me.

I rubbed my eyes and then looked around the room.

 _When did I get in the living room?_

I looked around again, seeing Syaoran stand in front of me.

"You should go get in the bed," he said.

And then I remembered, I was here with Xing before I fell asleep.

My eyes started looking around, searching for the little boy who was sad before we fell asleep.

"Don't look so panicked...I put him to bed an hour ago," he said quietly.

I didn't say anything, looking around for a clock to see the time.

"What time is it?" I asked after I couldn't find a clock.

"It's after two..." he said quietly.

I sighed, slowly standing from the couch.

That's right, I had school in a few hours, so I needed to get to bed.

"Okay. Goodnight," I said, getting ready to head to my room.

"Wait," he said, grabbing my arm gently.

I turned to him with scrunched brows. I may have still been tired, but that didn't mean I wasn't still upset with him.

"Earlier today—"

"You made your point," I interrupted before he could even say anything about it.

I didn't want to talk about it anymore, because I had already made up my mind about what I would do, whether he liked it or not.

"Sakura, I just want you to understand that this can't get out to anyone," he said quietly.

"Okay," I said blandly.

"Look at me and tell me that you understand then," he said, in what I could hear, a caring tone.

I purposely kept my eyes from his, not wanting to even give him the satisfactions of looking at him.

I was tired of lying to my best friend. Everyone else? Maybe. But, Tomoyo? I couldn't do it anymore, and here he was, still trying to make me.

"I have to get to bed," I said.

"Sakura," he pressed, starting to sound annoyed.

I pulled my arm back from him, looking up at him finally. "I understand _exactly_ what you're saying," I said tightly.

His brows knit together. "What's that supposed to mean? What's gotten into you suddenly?"

I sighed exasperatedly, annoyed with him now.

I pushed all thoughts and fears aside, wanting to release my frustrations with him finally.

"You're ashamed of me," I said.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"You're ashamed of me. That's why you don't want anyone to know about me living here and being the nanny to your child. What's so wrong about that, anyway? Nothing. People have nannies all the time, so it only makes sense that you're ashamed of me for watching _your_ kid while you overwork yourself and don't have time for _your_ own kid," I said, letting my voice drop down a notch at the last statement.

I couldn't risk saying that out loud, just for precaution. I didn't want Xing, of all people, to hear me say that.

Syaoran's tough face faltered, eyes widening as if he were surprised that I had just said that.

I let out a huff, folding my arms around myself. "I know it's not fair for me to say anything about this…I mean, you're paying me _and_ letting me stay here, but that doesn't mean my feelings don't matter," I said quietly, holding on to myself a little tighter to offer myself comfort. I needed It. "It hurts lying to my best friend when she's never lied to me. I want to tell her the truth. She's worried about me and all I'm doing is lying to her."

When he didn't say anything, I stepped back a little, ready to get out of here.

"You really told her I was your uncle?" he asked quietly.

My fists clenched together, slightly surprised that, that's what he was thinking about. Even after everything I had just said.

 _He is such an asshole._

I let out a huff, turning away from him before I could say anything that could further cause me to get in trouble.

"Goodnight."

And, I walked to my room, just wanting to sleep the rest of the night away.

I couldn't stand him. Oh, I disliked him so much at times like this.

Why couldn't he see how I felt about this? Did he even _try_ to see and understand me? Or, did he really just think about how he felt about all of this?

I couldn't understand why he didn't want anyone to know about this.

What was the worst-case scenario? Couldn't he just talk to me and help me understand why he wanted me staying here to remain a secret? It could have possibly lessened the guilt I had for lying to people. Even Tomoyo, though it may have only done so a little.

It wasn't like I was his mistress or anything...

I huffed, closing my eyes as I buried my face in the pillow, hoping it would swallow me whole.

I took a deep breath, and then let it out as I turned my head over, so I could breath. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to calm down a bit.

Why did I still feel upset?

My mind was already made up that I would tell her, so what had my panties in a knot?

I thought about it for a moment, trying to come to terms with myself.

And then, it hit me.

It was because I felt like he was ashamed of me.

I could feel a frown tug at my lips, not understanding why I felt oddly strange about that. I had never met anyone who was ashamed of me before, so maybe that's why it felt strange.

I sighed, deciding not to stress about that. It wasn't like it mattered...

Xing was the only focus here, and if he didn't feel ashamed of me, I didn't need to think about anything else.

A smile tugged at my lips before it disappeared immediately at the thought of Xing.

He had been upset before I fell asleep because of something that **I** did...

If I hadn't opened my stupid mouth and tried to defy Syaoran, he wouldn't have been upset...

I curled up on the bed, feeling the guilt swallow me for my stupid actions.

How could I act out so stupidly?

He was already going through enough, yet I...

I closed my eyes tightly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill at the thought of how much pain he must be going through.

I had not expected Syaoran to say that his mother passed away...

The guilt of ever thinking such crude thoughts of the missing woman because she was not around for Xing, almost killed me.

Even thinking that I could throw her missing in Syaoran's face made me feel like the worse human being on Earth. All because he disregarded my feelings for a crush...

What was wrong with me lately?

I was turning into something that was clearly not me.

Xing must have been so hurt after finding out that...

My heart tightened in my chest, thinking about it.

How was he coping with this? I had my brother and father around who gave me enough attention. They never made me feel like I missed out on anything, because they were always there for me...

But, with Xing... he had babysitters coming in and out of his life like it was nothing and a busy father. He didn't deserve this and I couldn't help but feel his pain, having lost my own mother.

I sighed, remembering what I had thrown in Syaoran's face tonight.

I really needed to sleep before my thinking made things worse...

* * *

"Be good, okay?" I said, smiling at Xing after he kissed my cheek.

He grinned, nodding his head. "Yes ma'am. I'll see you today after school, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course," I said.

He cheered before Syaoran told him that they had to get him to his class and they walked off.

I sighed, glad to finally breathe.

Syaoran had only said a few words to me this morning, so I couldn't detect if he was upset or not.

Quite frankly, I didn't want to know. I had been way out of line, I knew that, but everything was bottled up and, I...

I sighed again. Maybe I shouldn't have done it.

But, I feel like I was safe. If he had not said anything about kicking me out yet, I was...

But, _if_ he kicked me out...where would I go?

Surely, I wouldn't become homeless…right?

If It came down to it, I would use the money Syaoran has already given me, find an apartment, and hopefully find a job as the months passed before I run out of the money.

My fists clenched, suddenly not feeling as scared about Syaoran throwing me out anymore.

The only downfall would be not seeing Xing anymore and I don't think I was ready for that.

"What are you thinking about?" I heard a voice ask, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I turned to the voice, seeing Syaoran sit in the drivers side of the car.

"N-nothing..." I said quietly.

"Okay," he said quietly before turning the car on.

I silently sighed, still not knowing if he was upset with me or not.

It wasn't like it mattered, though.

The ride to school was quiet and awkward, aside from when I told him bye and to have a good day.

As soon as I closed the door, I looked up, only to see Tomoyo standing in front of me with a kind smile on her face.

Oh, gosh…had she just seen me get out of the car with him in it now?

I walked over to her slowly, not knowing how to react to her action.

Had Syaoran seen her standing here, or was he too busy trying to keep the stick stuck up his tale?

"U-uhh…"

"Li-sensei ran into you this morning and offered you a ride to school too?" she asked with a mischievous grin on her face.

Oh, gosh…

I dropped my hand in my palms, feeling ashamed of myself. I couldn't hold this back from her anymore…

"We have to talk…" I said quietly.

Tomoyo stared at me, looking clueless at my sudden shift in mood.

"About yesterday…and right now," I said nervously.

"Oh, gosh, is it—"

"Please, don't say anything," I interrupted, holding onto my bag tightly.

I didn't want her to guess anything before I could tell her. I wanted to be the one to tell her, instead of making her guess.

"I'll…explain everything, as soon as lunch comes," I said.

She smiled at me, nodding her head. "Okay, fair enough," she said.

I sighed in relief, glad that she wasn't pushing it, which meant I could still make this up to her…

 _Thank God…_

We walked to class together, talking about what we had to do before I remembered that I didn't do Syaoran's homework.

* * *

"You're a life-saver," I said, marking the last answer as true on the sheet of paper.

"Anytime," Tomoyo said sweetly as she ate from her bento.

We were sitting outside on the rooftop, eating lunch. Tomoyo had helped me do the homework for Syaoran's class, thank goodness.

"So, yesterday and this morning," Tomoyo said anxiously.

My eyes widened, almost have forgotten that I would tell her about everything.

Instead of beating around the bush about it, I took a deep breath and said, "I'm living with him."

I watched her facial expression that changed from relaxed to shock and then wonderment within a span of ten seconds.

" _No!_ " she exclaimed.

"Yes…" I said quietly.

"No!" she replied, eyes widening even more, if that were possible. "How?!"

"Long story…" I said sheepishly, feeling ashamed of myself for keeping this from her.

"We have this entire break, get telling, missy!" she said.

So, I did…

I told her everything that happened, from me attempting to sell myself into prostitution to the creep at the old apartment, to me, meeting Xing, all the way down to my stay at the house.

Even the few kisses we shared…

By the time I finished the story, I felt like my face could explode at any minute.

"He did _what_? And you were comfortable with it?" she asked incredulously. "Oh, gosh…where has my innocent, little Sakura gone?"

My cheeks burned even more, if that were possible. " _Please_ , Tomoyo. I can't even take the thought of thinking about it, so please cut me a little slack," I said, hiding my face behind my hands in embarrassment.

"Since when did you feel comfortable even _talking_ about kissing someone? And, of all people, Li-sensei?" Tomoyo said.

"I don't know. It just…happened, and he made it feel…normal and okay, so it wasn't that bad," I said shyly, feeling my cheeks warm, and not because of the embarrassment this time.

 _Darn it._

"So, my suspicions were correct, then," she said.

"Hoe?"

"You _do_ like him," she exaggerated.

"I-I…I don't think it's like that. Besides, he doesn't see me like that," I said quietly.

"Are you _kidding_ me? Do you not _see_ the way he looks at you during class? I thought I was just imagining things at first, but now that you've…" Tomoyo stopped, a frown forming on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Why didn't you tell me this until now?" she asked sadly.

"Well…he didn't want me to tell anyone about us living together…so he told me that I couldn't," I said, feeling guilty all over again. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head before a smile formed on her face slightly, relieving my heart. "I understand why he doesn't," she said.

I looked at her with scrunched brows. "Why? We kind of…got in a fight yesterday because of it," I said timidly.

"Sakura, you're a 17-year-old, staying in the house with a 22-year-old man with a kid," she said. "If that got out to the media, his name _and_ your name would be ruined."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, still feeling clueless about all of this.

"It means, you would be categorized as, 'Li Syaoran's whore.' And then, people would assume that you both are involved in the practice of enjo kosai," Tomoyo explained.

My face twisted, feeling disgusted by that. "Syaoran isn't _paying_ me to do anything, besides being the nanny to his child. He isn't paying me for anything else," I tried to explain to her.

"I know, I know. I believe you, but who's to say that, that's what everyone else's going to think? And, think about it, if word got back to his mother, she would have his head," Tomoyo said.

"His mother?" I asked, confused about this entire family.

Who were these people?

"Yes. She's very strict and expects the best out of all her kids. And, Li-sensei 'paying a student to date him' isn't necessarily something she would be pleased to hear," she said.

"Have you met her before?" I asked.

Tomoyo shook her head, no. "No, but mother has."

"Oh…" I said quietly.

"What did you guys fight about specifically?" Tomoyo asked, curiously.

I could feel my cheeks warm at that question, feeling stupid for my behavior towards him now. "I thought it was because he felt ashamed of me and didn't want anyone to know about me being around them…" I said sheepishly, looking down at the lunch I had abandoned.

"Oh, Sakura, you're not wrong for feeling that way, and honestly, I would say that you should be careful," she said in a concerned tone.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean…it'll be hard on you if you fall for a man who already has a kid _and_ is five years older than you are," she said quietly.

I frowned. "I'm not falling for him," I said, despite my heart beating at the thought of actually doing that.

I wasn't that foolish and naïve, though. He made it clear that the age gap was a major factor that bothered him, but I didn't care about it. I mean, it was just a number…

Age doesn't define a person, right?

Father and mother had an age gap, and they seemed to fit each other perfectly.

Syaoran may have experienced more than I have, but that didn't mean I wouldn't be able to experience things on my own. I could get as much experience as anyone else, even _if_ I did fall for him. Which I _wouldn't_ …

"I'm not saying that it'll be wrong to, but there will be consequences that come with it. I just want you safe and happy, at all times. And, gosh…your _nephew_ was a lot more adorable than I expected!" she exclaimed with a grin. "I wish I had my camera to take photos of him!"

I smiled, thinking about Xing. "He is adorable, isn't he?" I said, glad we were off the subject of me falling for the man.

"Yes. He didn't sound so shy over the phone earlier this week," she said, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"He isn't normally that shy. In fact, he's always active and very sociable. That's how he was when I first met him, at least. I think he was just out of it yesterday because of the arguing between Syaoran and I, and he was tired," I said.

Tomoyo stared at me for a moment before a gentle smile formed on her face. "You're getting attached, Sakura," she said.

I sighed, feeling a sad smile play at my lips. "I know, it's getting bad," I said.

"Why do you say it like that?" she asked.

"Because, I find myself getting extremely sad when I think about the time I'll leave them," I said.

"Which is?"

"For college, I guess," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "We didn't discuss that far ahead, but I did tell him that I'd leave after I graduated high school and go off to college. I'll have more than enough money saved up by then and be able to go out on my own, so I'm not too worried about it."

"Sakura," Tomoyo called in a serious tone suddenly.

"Yes?"

"You do know that, if you need _anything_ , all you have to do is ask me and I'll help as much as possible," she said. "If I had known that you were struggling so badly, you could have come and stayed with me."

When a gloomy look passed across her face, I reached over and grabbed her hand in mine. "I know, and, maybe I should have. But, I couldn't find it in myself to ask anyone for help. I'm truly sorry for keeping this from you," I apologized sincerely.

A small smile formed on her lips as she shook her head. "It's okay. I forgive you, on one condition."

"What is it?" I asked, willing to do whatever she asked me to do.

"If anything were to ever happen to you, or made you feel sad, you'd come to me and ask for my help, okay?" she said.

Immediately, I nodded, holding her hand tighter. "I promise," I said.

"It's a deal then," she said with a smile on her face. "And, your secrets safe with me."

I smiled at her brightly, glad that I had finally gotten this off my chest. Telling her about everything seemed to lift a huge weight off me, so telling her this was so worth it.

What would I ever do without her?

* * *

I sat the homework assignment on his desk, avoiding all eye contact with him, as I waited for the other person to get out of my way.

After talking to Tomoyo today about why he could have possibly not wanted anyone to find out about me staying there, I didn't feel so angry at him anymore. Plus, I had already told Tomoyo about it.

That didn't mean I still didn't want an explanation from him about why he didn't want anyone to know. I felt that Tomoyo was more spot on, than I was, though.

I walked to the back of the classroom, sitting in seat. I leaned down, grabbing my phone out, turning the volume all the way down.

I turned all my attention to the front as soon as the late bell rang, signaling that class was officially about to start.

"Did everyone turn in their assignments?" Syaoran asked from the front of the classroom.

Everyone was quick to claim they had, except me. I didn't say anything, not wanting to get on his bad side like I always seemed to do.

"Alright. Let's go over it," he said, grabbing the first paper on top of the stack.

I rested my chin on top of my hand, listening to him read out the first question, and asking the class what the answer was.

I wasn't really focused on what he had asked, because I just couldn't help but think about the conversation between Tomoyo and I, at lunch.

I could still hear him explaining the reason behind why the answer was the response everyone gave, but I couldn't seem to feel interested in it. I had read the chapter at lunch time with Tomoyo, so I wasn't completely oblivious to everything he was talking about.

It was just...

What Tomoyo said made so much sense to me...

I wasn't falling for Syaoran, especially since he kept giving mixed signals.

One minute he was sweet and caring in a subtly way, and then the next, mean and cruel.

I couldn't see myself falling for a person like that. Besides, I liked Yukito, who is much sweeter and nicer. He didn't have random mood swings, or a kid.

Despite that thought, it was still easy to imagine taking care of Xing long term. Maybe it was because of this attachment I felt growing.

I silently sighed, listening to Syaoran talk about interaction skills in the business world.

As if he sensed me looking at him now, his eyes locked with mine, causing my eyes to stray from the front of the class.

 _Just kill me..._

I kept my eyes glued on the paper in front of me, taking notes for the remainder of class. I could feel my entire body heat up at the feeling of his eyes on me still…

I was so glad when I heard him wrapping up the lecture.

"Read through half of the next chapter and be ready to discuss it in the next class. You are dismissed," he said.

Everyone stood from their seats, including me. I didn't even glance in Syaoran's direction, keeping my attention directed to Tomoyo.

"What was that again?" I asked Tomoyo, only hearing the last part of her question.

"I said, did you notice his _ogling_ today?" she asked quietly, so no one else would hear.

My cheeks warmed, remembering how my body felt, sensing his eyes on me, even when I didn't look up to see him doing it. "He's in the front of the class, so of course his eyes glanced to the back of the class, just like it does with the entire classroom," I said sheepishly.

She giggled, shaking her head. "You're in denial," she said with a sly smile on her face.

" _Tomoyo_ ," I whined.

"Alright, alright. You're the one who has to go home to him," she said, walking with me out of the class.

I was sure to keep my eyes straight ahead, not wanting to glance in his direction. "It's not like that," I said under my breath to her once we passed him, and out of the classroom.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"He works a lot. _All_ the time, really. Yesterday was rare, and before we went on that trip, it was very rare that me or Xing were able to see him. He works more than average," I explained quietly.

Tomoyo looked thoughtful for a moment as if she were thinking about it before a slight frown tugged at her lips. "Mother's always worked a lot as well," she said, but a small smile formed on her lips. "But, I understand why, so I don't feel upset about it."

I didn't say anything as I thought about how often her mom wouldn't be around when I came to her place. "You're right," I said.

She shrugged. "I could wait until your ride gets here," she said, suddenly changing the subject.

"You don't have to," I said as we both stood at the gate.

"I want to," she said, smiling kindly.

"Alright, that's fine with me," I said, smiling at her a little.

My phone buzzed in the bag on my shoulder, alerting me that I had a notification.

With scrunched brows, I took it out, looking at the screen.

 **'We need to talk. Come to my office.'**

I stared at the text for at least a minute, trying to figure out what we needed to talk about.

Maybe it was the conversation we had yesterday. Or, he was ready to confront me about my attitude and kick me out?

Oh, gosh—

"What is it? You look troubled," Tomoyo said, sounding and looking concerned.

I looked at her and smiled to reassure her that she didn't need to worry. "It's nothing. Syaoran just wants to talk to me," I said shyly.

" _Talk_ to you, or suck face again?" she asked slyly with a grin on her face.

Why did my best friend have to be such a pervert sometimes?

I could feel my cheeks warming. I swatted her arm softly before placing my phone back in my bag. " _Stop_ it. That is not what he's trying to do," I said, feeling my heart beat fast at the thought of it.

He had been hesitant to do it lately, so he wouldn't dare try to do anything here anyway.

"I want details!" she said, walking over to her car that was parked in front of the school, waiting for her.

"Shh!" I said teasingly, playfully glaring at her.

I heard her mischievous laughter as she closed the door behind her. Shaking my head with a smile on my face, I headed towards the school building again to go to Syaoran's office.

Before I could even make it to his office, I saw him walking in the middle of the hall with his briefcase in hand.

I stopped walking, surprised that he was not in his office.

He stopped walking, staring at me with that cold look in his eyes, making all the blood in my body freeze.

"Uh…" I said quietly after he didn't say anything.

He walked closer to me, making my heart flutter in anticipation. I didn't know what he would do.

"I thought you were standing me up," he said quietly.

"I was with Tomoyo," I said.

He looked around the hall, as if he were trying to make sure no one was around.

 _Of course._

Before I knew it, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the nearest classroom, closing the door behind us.

I looked up at him with wide-eyes, surprised that he had just dragged me into a classroom. _Alone_. With him.

"U-uh…" I stuttered nervously.

"Sakura," he called softly, back into the mood of the caring and gentle man that I was starting to like.

 _Darn it!_

I pulled my arm back from his gentle grip, wanting to get rid of the weird feeling that was stirring inside my body. "What do we need to talk about?" I asked softly.

I really wasn't looking forward to this conversation…

He sighed. "I'm not ashamed of you, okay?" he said awkwardly, making me feel a little relieved.

"Then, why don't you want anyone to know about it?" I asked with a frown on my face.

"Because, I know the outcome of it all…" he said. "And, I want to keep you protected from all of that."

I looked up at him, hearing him whisper the last part. I certainly didn't expect him to say _that_ , of all things.

"I…" I didn't know what to say.

"You don't understand how bad it could ruin your name, _and_ my family's name. There's a lot expected of me, and if I…" he sighed. "If I ever do anything to disappoint my family, I could ruin things. And, I don't want to bring you into this by ruining your name too because it can get really ugly. I don't want that for you and I don't want Xing to be dragged into this either, so…I think it would be best to keep quiet about the whole arrangement," he said.

Even though he said that, and I understood what he meant, thanks to Tomoyo, I still didn't feel the least bit guilty for telling Tomoyo about it already. I trusted her…

I would just have to get Syaoran to see that he could trust her too.

"Okay," I said quietly.

"Do you understand where I'm coming from?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, sir," I said.

He walked closer to me, making me move back unconsciously. When his hands moved up to my face, I was sure my cheeks could burst in flames at any minute, feeling his fingertips caress them. "I really do appreciate your help, and don't want you to think that I'm taking it for granted," he said gently. It was surprising to hear the sincerity in his voice.

I didn't say anything, feeling my eyes drift down to his full lips.

 _What is my problem these days?!_

"O-okay," I said, distractedly.

"Sakura," he called.

I automatically looked up at him, eyes widening when I saw him staring at something on my face too.

"I want…" he stopped, letting his fingers slide down my face slowly, lighting my skin on fire, even more.

I was almost sure that I didn't imagine it this time, because his entire face was almost the color of a tomato.

"Hoe?"

"I want to kiss you right now…"

I opened my mouth slightly, but nothing came out. I didn't know what to say…or, do. Tomoyo had been right.

 _How does she know everything?_

"H-here?" I stuttered after getting my thoughts together. "C-couldn't anyone walk in right now?" I asked, despite my lack of effort to pull away, showing.

I didn't want him to stop, even though he should have, but he needed to. He had been the one who said that no one could find out about this— _us_ —specifically, but now…

He didn't seem to care that anyone could walk in.

I looked in his eyes, seeing excitement in them at my statement.

Did that _excite_ him?

That weird, familiar tug was at the pit of my stomach, almost telling me that, this excited me too, even though I was scared near to death about being caught in such a compromising position. With him.

Why did this feel oddly exciting?

"No one will," he said huskily, pushing me back gently until my back hit against the wall by the door.

I looked to the door, making sure I didn't see a shadow walking past it before my eyes looked up into his lusty eyes. "O-okay," I said timidly.

He leaned down, getting ready to close the gap between our lips before he stopped, only centimeters from mine.

My eyes opened, not even aware that I had them closed, only to see a small smile on his lips.

"Do you trust me?" he asked softly.

The longer I stared into his eyes, the more I felt I could trust him, as weird as it sounded. I did, though. I trusted him…

He hadn't done anything to put me in harm's way, and most of his intentions had been good…as far as I was concerned.

"Yes," I said, after being silent for a while.

He let out a silent sigh of relief before he leaned further down and whispered against my lips, "I'm going to kiss you," and then closed the gap between our lips.

I smiled against his lips, feeling his lips caress mine gently. Wanting to feel his body against mine, I felt my confidence rising as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

I was relieved that he took the hint and moved his body closer to mine, pressing me into the wall more with his, as he deepened the kiss.

In the back of my throat, I could hear a soft sound emit from me as I kissed him back, just as deep.

The tightening ache between my legs increased when I finally felt his tongue snake across my lips, asking for entrance.

Testing his limits, I bit his lower lip lightly instead, hoping he would allow me to lead and explore his mouth this time.

His mouth opened, and my tongue immediately slipped past his parted lips, finding his tongue with mine.

I let my hands slide down to his shoulders, pulling him closer to me, using my tongue to battle with his.

It felt so good…

To think I had been missing out on _this_? I didn't even want to think about how good anything else, other than kissing, would feel. This alone was enough to make me feel like I was in heaven…

Or, maybe, it was because this was Syaoran, an attractive man…

I gasped, feeling his hands drop down to my waist, pulling my body against his before his lips broke apart from mine.

We stared at each other for a moment before he leaned down again, kissing me hard.

He didn't even give me a chance to respond before his lips left mine again, moving further down my face.

I couldn't even catch my breath, while his lips were kissing down to my jaw, all the way to my neck, causing an unfamiliar sound to escape my mouth uncontrollably.

His lips left feather kisses on my neck before I felt his tongue snake across it.

"Syaoran," my ears registered my voice whimper, as I pulled him closer.

Closer? Shouldn't I push him away now? Shouldn't I feel scared that he would push it too far?

As soon as his lips closed around my neck, they disappeared, a loud noise, scaring us both.

Syaoran was away from me in no time, talking into his phone casually.

I swallowed, moving away from the wall a little as I took silent deep breaths, hoping to get my panting under control. I looked in his direction, seeing him appear as though nothing had ever happened between us.

How did he do that?

I leaned down on shaky legs, picking my bag up from the floor that I seemed to have dropped during our kiss.

God, this was getting weird…but in a good way.

I listened to Syaoran wrap up the conversation before he turned back to me with a cold look in his eyes, causing my body to freeze.

As if he noticed it was me, they softened immediately, and he moved over to where I was; still glued to the wall.

I looked down, feeling shy and embarrassed all of a sudden.

I felt a hand lift my chin, making me look up at him. "I have to go…" he said gently. "Kenta should be outside waiting for you."

I nodded mutely, not able to find my voice.

"I'll be getting home late tonight, so I won't get to see either of you…" he said quietly, sounding a little guilty.

I couldn't help but feel like he did feel guilty because of what I had said to him yesterday.

I nodded again. "Okay," I said softly.

"I'll make it up to Xing this weekend. And…" I looked at him, feeling my cheeks warm still. "I really do hope that you will still come with us. I mean, Xing would really want you to…"

I smiled a little. "Of course."

He leaned down and kissed my lips softly one last time before he pulled away. "I'll see you in the morning," he said, and then left the classroom.

I released a loud breath, finally able to breathe correctly.

I **won't** fall for him…

I said I wouldn't, and I meant it…

I just didn't know how I would stick to that when he showed me the kind, caring side…

* * *

 **A/N: Tomoyo finally knows, and she's already giving advice...very typical of her, right? :P.**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Though, some of you guys seem very bitter and angry lol.**

 **Anyway, don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you guys think of the chapter :).**

 **Ja ne!**


	19. A Little Quality Time

**"A Little Quality Time"**

* * *

"How's your little man, Li?"

Taking a sip from the glass of red wine, I couldn't help but wish that Chao would take the question back.

I wasn't in the mood to discuss my son's well-being with them.

There wasn't necessarily anyone else I could talk to about him, besides Sakura, considering the fact that she was always around him. I didn't feel comfortable talking about my personal life with the men at work anyway, so I found it best to keep their noses out of my business.

"You good, man?" I heard another one of my colleagues ask.

I turned to Chao, shrugging my shoulder at his question. "He's fine. School just started Monday for him," I said, hoping my tone made it clear enough that I didn't want to continue talking about it.

"My little girl just started school too. She's been even a bigger ball of energy since. You would think that school's taking some of that energy from her," Chao said, chuckling softly.

I responded with a quiet, "Yeah," realizing I didn't really know much about Xing's first week.

It was Thursday night, so I had not seen Xing since the morning after Daidouji had nearly found out about the arrangement.

I had to get to the office earlier than normal, so I could make time for this weekend with them. Kenta had been taking them to school and from.

I had only seen Sakura briefly, and that was during class. Even then, I barely looked in her direction of the class, though it was hard sometimes. I was still trying to keep things subtle between us, so we wouldn't rise any suspicions.

I was only out with the men tonight because we had been working on the new project and didn't finish until after 12.

Xing would be sleeping, and Sakura should be too because it _is_ pretty late, and she had school tomorrow.

I hope she would be. I didn't want her feeling tired and overworked because she wasn't getting any sleep.

The girl could barely lie, so she might slip up and tell the world that she hadn't been getting sleep because she was staying awake at night, waiting for me to get off work so we could have a short conversation.

I didn't need anyone to suspect what we had going on, especially since Daidouji had already seen us outside of class too.

 _Shit..._

I really needed to be careful.

"Come on, Li, loosen up a bit. You would think that alcohol helps, but not even with you. You're still stiff and tense," Asahi, another one of my colleagues, said.

My eyes narrowed towards the middle-aged man. "I am not," I said shortly.

I really wasn't in the mood to argue or discuss myself right now. I had enough of that from everyone in my family.

"You are. Say, when was the last time you've gotten laid?" Chao asked, catching me off guard.

"What?" I asked, baffled by his question.

"People are normally uptight and tense when they haven't gotten laid in a long time. Since you've been here, you've been pretty stiff, so it's had to be a minute," Asahi said, sounding so sure of it.

"That is none of your businesses," I said, hoping to dismiss the conversation.

To my disappointment, Chao laughed, hitting my back.

To say the least, it was uncomfortable. I never liked for anyone to touch me, because it was my personal space. So, it was no surprise that I flinched away from him.

I had only given one other person permission to put their hands on me, and even with her, I didn't vocally give her permission. But, she seemed to know it was okay. She knew...

I could feel my face growing unbearably hot, thinking about a certain incident that had taken place a few days ago in a classroom.

What the hell was I thinking? Kissing her like that in such a public place? Was I _trying_ to get us caught?

Didn't I say that nothing inappropriate would go on between us?

I did...so, why did it feel so right wanting to claim her? Why did I even _want_ to?

 _Fuck..._

I needed to get it together, lest I'd be sporting an erection in front of these guys.

"I say, we help you get laid tonight," Asahi said, smirking at me.

"No," I said quickly.

What was the deal with people these days? Sex wasn't something to play with like it was a game or some sort. I didn't just sleep with anyone. I respected myself more than that, and women. They aren't toys to play with, and neither am I a toy to them.

"Why not? It'll help you man," Asahi pressed.

My eyes narrowed in his direction before I took a sip of my alcohol. I hoped the look told him that I didn't want to have this discussion any further.

"You see that blonde over there?" Chao said, pointing to a pretty blonde who is sitting at a table, glancing over here with those seductive looks.

Goodness...I couldn't bear to watch a woman who didn't show any modesty.

"She's been eye-fucking you since we walked in here. Matter of fact, you have a wide variety of women to pick from here tonight because a lot of them have been eyeing you," Chao said suggestively.

I let out an aggravated sigh and stood from the chair, calling it a night.

The two seemed to notice because they were grabbing my arm immediately, pulling me back down in the chair.

I glared at them, feeling annoyed that they even had this much confidence to lay a finger on me.

 _The things alcohol does to people..._

"We aren't trying to pressure you, Li, but we do want to help you get out there," Asahi said.

"I don't want to get out there," I said tightly.

Why did I even bother explaining myself to these ninnies?

"You're 21—wait, 22, right?" Chao said. "Still young and need to live a little. Have you ever had a one-night stand before?"

"No, and I don't plan to—"

"And, that's the problem. Just try it once. Go over there and offer to buy that girl a drink," Chao said. "Yolo? You only live once. Isn't that what you youngens say, right?"

I internally cringed, wanting to tell the old man to stop.

"Don't judge me with that look. I'm nearing my 50s, so I'm from a different time than you are," Chao said in a chastising tone.

"Don't try to use phrases that most people use, then," I said blandly.

Asahi and Chao burst out laughing, shaking their heads.

"Leave it up to Li to be an asshole," Asahi said.

Asahi wasn't the youngest thing either. He was nearing his late 40s.

"Look, we're getting off topic. Let's stay on, 'Li getting laid' tonight," Chao said.

I glared at him. "Why are you guys so concerned?"

"We want you healthy, man. Having sex is a healthy thing. It's been medically proven that—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know the medical research on getting a release. I don't need to get that from someone else, though," I said.

Were we _really_ talking about this?

"Come on. I know jacking off is getting old—"

"That's **not** the point," I said tightly.

"You're tense, stiff, _and_ boring. You need to loosen up and have a little fun sometimes."

I froze, suddenly feeling like I was experiencing deja vu.

Sakura had just said the same thing a week ago. If she said it, my family said it, and now they were saying it...maybe I did need to.

I let out a sigh, only feeling obligated to because of _her_.

Why the hell was she suddenly having this huge impact on my life and decisions?

 _Damn it._

"...how?" I asked awkwardly.

"Go ask her if you can buy her a drink," Asahi said confidently.

I frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"Because...you know, girls like that kind of stuff," he said, shrugging his shoulder.

"She has a drink," I said bluntly, staring at the drink in her hand.

"Look, we're trying to help you," Chao said with a chuckle.

My brows scrunched together. "Okay. Then?"

"Make conversation, ask her about herself...charm her into accepting your invitation to your place. Almost like…the way you persuade people in your presentations," Chao said.

"Wait, wait, wait. My place?" I asked incredulously.

I had Sakura there and I most definitely didn't want to parade women around in her face. For some reason, it just didn't sit well with me.

"Oh, trust me. Your kid won't hear anything, if that's what you're worried about," Chao said confidently.

"It's not tha—" I stopped, realizing they didn't know anything about her.

I was sure Xing wouldn't hear anything. The boy could sleep through a fire if one were to happen at the house.

I frowned, erasing that thought from my head. I didn't ever want anything bad to happen to him. The point is, he could sleep through anything.

Sakura was the problem...

I didn't owe her anything, much less loyalty, so why did I find myself wanting to not do this because of her?

"Kids can sleep through anything, I tell you," Asahi said.

Chao threw his head back, laughing loudly at that statement. "If that isn't the truth."

"Look, maybe we should forget this," I tried to reason, hoping they would drop it.

"No, no, no. Just go over and talk to her. You haven't been with anyone since your wife, right?" Chao asked cautiously.

I sighed. "That doesn't mean I have to do this. Besides..." I paused, wondering if I should lie to get the men off my throat by telling them that I was seeing someone.

They were always going at it whenever they could.

I just didn't understand why they were so concerned about my dating and sex life.

"Are you, by any chance, seeing someone?" Chao asked, sounding surprised by the revelation.

"I—"

"Why didn't you just say so? You know we don't tolerate cheating," Asahi said. "I'm still a happily married man for a reason."

"I'm not...I just...have to go. I have to be at the office early in the morning," I settled with, standing from the chair again.

"Say, why have you been getting to the office extra early these past few days anyway?"

I didn't know who asked, too focused on wanting to get out of there.

"Just working on the project. I'll see you guys tomorrow," I said, almost rushing out the bar.

I remembered sitting some cash on the counter before driving home.

Had I just fucked up?

* * *

I closed the door behind me, locking it.

Another night getting home late, but it was worth it. It was Friday night, which meant tomorrow I would be able to spend time with Xing. And Sakura.

I could feel my heart beat faster at the thought of her.

I had seen her earlier today and had to fight to keep my eyes from straying to her direction. It was getting harder these days since we'd started getting physical with each other.

I glanced down at my watch, seeing it past eleven.

Maybe I could see Xing tonight, if he was still awake. Or, Sakura...

My cheeks warmed, thinking about her. Why did I suddenly feel flustered at the thought of her?

This was getting annoying.

I made a short trip to my office before I headed to my room to change from the uncomfortable suit.

Once I finished changing into shorts and a t-shirt, I decided to head to Xing's room.

If they weren't in the living room, they had to be there if they were still awake.

The moment I turned the knob of the door, I heard the most satisfying sound I'd ever hear. Their laughter mixed together.

Slowly, I pushed the door open, but stopped when the room fell silent, aside from the television playing.

I stepped into the room, so they could know it was me.

Xing gasped. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, jumping off the bed with Sakura, and running to hug me tightly.

I could feel a warm smile tug at my lips before I stooped down to pick him up. "What are you still doing up, buddy?" I asked, ruffling his hair as usual.

He pouted, burying his face in my neck. "I'm not sleepy." He sounded muffled as he said it into my neck.

I shook him gently, motioning him to sit up so I could see his face. "It's way past your bed time," I said, though there was no seriousness to my tone.

"But... I don't have school tomorrow," he said sheepishly.

I smiled a little, ruffling his hair again before placing him back on his feet.

My eyes shifted to Sakura's direction, only to have my breath catch in my throat at her appearance.

She had on a fitted green tank top, might I add, no bra underneath it, and loose-fitting pajama shorts that were pink with green polka dots.

When I felt a stirring in my shorts at seeing her exposed skin, I turned my attention back to Xing.

"Uh...yeah...you don't, but we have a, uh...long day ahead of us," I stuttered.

When did I ever stutter these days?

"Well...can we stay up and watch one movie together?" Xing asked, giving me the look.

I glanced at the clock, seeing that it was nearing 11:30.

"It's...uh, pretty late," I said, feeling my eyes drift over to Sakura's direction on his bed.

 _Damn it, stop it!_

"Uh...I didn't know you would be coming home early tonight. I mean, earlier than normal, because this isn't early either, but...you know what I mean," Sakura said, making my eyes train on her again at hearing her adorable rambling.

She was biting that lip that I had between my lips the other day...

Though embarrassing to admit, I wanted another taste.

"Yeah, I... uh, decided to call it an early night," I said, staring directly in her eyes. I could feel my own eyes getting heavy with lust.

She stood from the bed, giving me a full view of her body.

Even though she wasn't tall, her legs appeared longer than they actually were. They looked so smooth...

I could almost feel them wrapped around my body as I buried myself deep inside of her.

"We should watch a movie together then," she suggested.

I looked up, seeing a smile on her lips. "Uh..." My cheeks grew hotter the longer I stared at her.

"I'm sure Xing will fall asleep," she murmured so only I could hear.

"Hey, I want to know the secret, too!" Xing exclaimed with a pout on his lips.

Sakura giggled, walking over to us so she could ruffle his hair. "There are no secrets between us, Xing."

I swallowed, itching to reach out and touch her. Not just sexually, but in another way I wasn't quite familiar with.

 _Gosh, this is getting weird._

"W-well, come on. We don't have all night," I said, feeling all flustered suddenly.

Sakura placed her hands on Xing's shoulder, leading him out the room first. When they got to the door, Sakura turned to me with a smile on her face. "You don't understand how glad I am you got here at the perfect time, so thank you," and she walked out, making me wonder what the hell they had been doing before I got here.

Shaking my head, I followed them to the living room, seeing Sakura sit down, while Xing searched through the movies on the desk.

I walked over to the couch, sitting beside Sakura, being sure to keep an appropriate distance between us. I didn't need to tempt myself any further. Especially with Xing in here with us.

I cringed, thinking about how perverted my thoughts had been lately.

Feeling attracted to someone was normal...so, why did I feel like the biggest pervert alive?

I couldn't help but wonder if she thought that I was some sick bastard, feeling this way about her.

I mean, she had to know that I was attracted to her.

It was obvious...right? I had purposely pressed my body into hers to let her feel the effect she had on me, so I didn't see how she wouldn't know.

I turned to her on the couch, getting ready to speak, but Xing beat me to it with a loud 'yay.'

"I found it! This is the movie I want to watch!" he exclaimed, holding up a DVD.

I stared at it with a raised brow, wondering when I had bought that.

"My neighbor totoro!" he exclaimed.

"You want to watch this?" I asked.

He nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, it's my favorite movie of all time!"

I smiled a little, motioning for him to put it in the DVD.

I turned to Sakura, seeing her stare at him with a loving expression on her face.

Feeling relieved that she wasn't paying attention to me, I let my eyes drift down to her breast again before they shifted from her immediately.

I didn't need to be looking at her like that right now. Xing was around. Shouldn't that be enough for me to ignore this attraction I had towards her?

Even so, my eyes still travelled down to her breast, making me realize that they appeared smaller than I had thought they were a few weeks ago.

Maybe if I could feel them, cup them in the palm of my hands, then—

 _Damn it, stop!_

"Syao—"

"Uh, how was he...today?" I asked, letting my eyes lock with her emerald pair.

She smiled at me sweetly, nodding her head. "He was good...overly excited, but still good," she said.

Was she not nervous right now?

I unclenched my fists.

"That's good. I was wondering if—"

"Can I sit on your lap, daddy?" Xing interrupted me.

"You could sit beside me," I suggested, patting the seat beside me.

A pout formed on his lips and he folded his arms stubbornly. "But I want to sit on top of you," he whined.

I raised a brow, moving over so he could sit between me and Sakura instead.

He let out an annoyed sound before he climbed on the couch to sit between us.

The moment the movie started, the pout left, and he fell silent, entranced by the screen.

It wasn't even 10 minutes into the movie before he was fast asleep.

I couldn't help but feel relieved because I knew that he would whine and complain all day about how tired he is tomorrow. It never failed.

I looked on the side of him, seeing that Sakura's eyes were glued to the tv.

"You know that you don't have to pretend to be into the movie anymore. He's sleeping," I said quietly.

She blinked once before turning to me with a smile on her face. "I was actually into the movie," she said playfully.

I snorted uncharacteristically. "Really?"

"Why not? It's an entertaining kids film," she said, shrugging her shoulder slightly so she wouldn't wake Xing. He was laying over on her shoulder.

"I could get him..." I said, awkwardly reaching over to grab him gently. "I'll put him to bed."

She smiled at me and nodded. "Okay."

"I'll be back," I said, standing up with Xing in my arms. He had his arms wrapped around my neck immediately.

She murmured another soft okay before I walked to his room. I tucked him in bed before I kissed his forehead and headed back to the living room.

My heart began to beat faster, seeing her still sit on the couch, watching the movie.

I sat down beside her, not saying a word because my nerves were suddenly jumping in my skin.

"How was your day?" she asked, suddenly turning in my direction.

I swallowed. "Productive," I said stiffly.

Fuck, that response sounded tense and awkward, didn't it?

She giggled, shaking her head. "So, I'm taking that it was good," she said.

Why was she so good at this socializing thing? I almost felt jealous.

"Yeah. Uh...how was your day?" I asked. I was sure that was asked awkwardly.

Damn it.

"It was great, except I had a pop quiz in math," she said, sounding disappointed in herself.

"I take it didn't go well?" I asked.

She looked at me with a bashful look on her face, blushing and all. "Well...uh...math isn't necessarily my expertise," she said sheepishly.

I stared at her face, feeling my lips tug a little with a smile. "If you ever need any help, I could help you. I'm a math fan," I said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Immediately, her face brightened up, a grin forming on her beautiful lips. "Really?" she asked anxiously.

I nodded. "Of course," I said, feeling my heart flutter at the reaction I got from her.

"Thank you!" she said, bowing her head slightly.

Shaking my head, I motioned with my hands for her to sit up. "It's not a problem," I said, suddenly feeling flustered by the pleased reaction I had gotten out of her. I've finally done something right by her.

"Of course, it is! I know you have a very busy life, but you're willing to help me with something as easy as math because of my lack of skills. That means a lot to me," she said sincerely.

I could feel my body untensing, seeing her open up and speak freely around me now. Instead of responding, I just nodded.

"So, what do you have planned tomorrow for us?" she asked softly.

I looked at her, feeling my cheeks warm at the amount of attention she is giving me.

"I have this yacht at a small, private resort here. We used to go there to get away during the summer sometimes. We haven't been there in a while, so...I think he'd like that a lot," I said.

She nodded, laying back on the couch so she didn't have to sit up. "Sounds like fun," she said.

I looked back at her, staring at her unreadable eyes.

Why couldn't I read her mind?

"What were you guys doing before I got here?" I decided to ask, to ease the tension in the room.

Her eyes looked panicked for a bit before she quickly shook her head. "Nothing! It's just...Xing was talking about his mother," she whispered the last part quietly.

I stiffened, wondering what he could have told her. "What about...her?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, I think that he just wants a mom because all the other kids talk about their mom's and... you get where this is going, right?" she said quietly.

I nodded slowly, suddenly wanting to open up to her about everything. She is the one around him most times, so she knew more about what he went through on a daily than I do. Plus, she made talking to her so easy.

It was like a spell she had on people to make them feel at peace within themselves. Or, maybe it was just me.

I had never talked to anyone about his mom because I didn't feel the need to, but now...

I looked at her face, seeing a sad smile on her face. "I'm sorry. I know that your former wife is a sensitive topic for the both of you, but...she was and always will be a part of the two of you because of Xing. And... Xing knows that, even though he isn't aware of it right now. So, I never know what or how to respond when he brings her up to me because you told me to never say a word about it or her to anyone," she said the last part quietly, making me feel a little guilty for putting her in this predicament.

I mean, what was I expecting? She's around him more than I am, and even I knew that he talked about her a lot.

I sighed, giving in to the thought of opening up to her. I didn't have much of a choice. She needed to know about his mother.

"Meixia and I only knew each other for a week before we were engaged," I started off, letting my eyes stray from hers when I saw them widen.

"I was 19, getting ready to take over everything. Mother saw it fit to have a wife, already ready to produce the next heir after I'm gone—"

"You were so young, though," she interrupted.

I looked at her, seeing her cover her mouth, while looking apologetic for interrupting. A bitter smile formed on my lips at hearing that.

"That doesn't matter in my family. There always has to be the next heir in line, ready to lead."

When she didn't say anything, I continued, "So, I met his mother and we were engaged for a month. Maybe a little over a month, but we...just got straight to the point, which was having a kid. Lucky for us, she was pregnant on the first try with a boy, which we needed to have. Months later, Xing was born, who I instantly loved from the moment I saw him. But, after Meixia's pregnancy, things went downhill. She was angry all the time, like **I** had forced her to have my kid, when in fact, she had wanted him more than I did when the idea of having a kid was presented to us. She didn't always treat him the kindest, but she was his mother, so of course Xing clung to her like a second coat of skin," I stopped, looking to see her reaction.

Her face was unreadable, but it was neutral, like she had no thoughts about the things I said.

"We argued a lot, which I admit, was my fault some of the time. I was always working, and she stayed home most of the time with him during the beginning of his birth. Then, she came up with the idea of having a nanny, which started the cycle of babysitters..."

Why did I feel like such a shitty person telling her this?

I clenched my fists, mentally preparing myself to tell her the next thing. She _needed_ to know, though, so we could both avoid doing it again.

"Meixia and I argued so much in front of Xing, so...I know I triggered something in him when we argued the other day in front of him. It was my fault, but it still shouldn't have happened. We can't let it happen again, okay?" I said, looking at her, expecting her to say okay.

"Of course, it won't happen again," she said immediately.

I nodded. "I often hope that his memories of her living aren't only bad because she didn't always treat him the way I think he should have been treated by a mother." I sighed. "But who am I to say what a mother should treat her son like? I'm not even a good father. I just don't...want to be a terrible father, but it's not easy being the best dad. It's hard, but all I do is seem to fail at it or fuck things up and—"

"It's not supposed to be easy. You're never going to be a perfect dad, but that doesn't make you a terrible one," she said quietly.

I looked at her hesitantly, feeling chills glide down my body at the sincerity in her tone.

"My dad was never perfect, but I think that he was the best dad in the world because he was _my_ dad. He did everything he could to make sure I had a great life. Even though I didn't have a mother to fill in certain gaps in my life, he was able to fill them in with other things. He could do everything in the book, but he wasn't perfect. Being a good dad isn't being perfect. It's trying your best, which my father did. That's what made him a great dad to me."

I stared at her face as she smiled, talking about the man. I'd never met her dad before, yet she made me feel like he really was a great dad.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Of course. All you can do is try your best," she said, sitting up on the couch so we could be right next to each other.

My heart began to beat faster, feeling her so close to me. Instead of responding, I didn't say anything, so an awkward silence passed between us.

I didn't want to break it, and neither did she, it seemed.

"So…you didn't really marry your wife for love?"

When I looked at her, the frown on her face made me feel slightly disappointed in myself. Instead of voicing that feeling to her, I shrugged my shoulders nonchalant, as if to say I didn't care. "No. That was pointless," I said blandly.

Her frown deepened, making me feel irritated by her reaction because of the way it made me feel.

"It's not a big deal. I mean, it's not that I'm some heartless being who has no feelings for the human species, but our relationship just wasn't like that. I cared about her and respected her, but she was just the mother of my child..." I stopped, wondering why I wanted to clarify that to her.

It's not like she actually _cared_ if I had been in love with Xing's mother, right? Why did I feel the need to explain myself to her, though?

"That sounds very sad..." she said quietly.

I looked at her, seeing a sadness cloud her eyes. I had never seen that kind of gloomy look on her face before, so it unsettled something in me that I wasn't quite familiar with.

My lips turned downward a bit, annoyed that I had been the source of that look.

Why did I always have to be the one to make her sad?

Clenching my fists to hold myself back from touching her, I closed my eyes tightly, so I didn't have to see her like this. "Don't look like that," I said in a stiff tone.

I didn't want to come off as harsh or annoyed with her, because I was, but I didn't want to upset her any more than she already was.

"I'm sorry, but...why does everything seem so controlled in your life? Can't you make decisions based off your own wants and needs? Does everything always have to be set in order and you follow each step that's instructed for you to do? Where could you ever find happiness living like that? You didn't want a kid, yet you have one. You didn't love your wife, yet you _had_ to marry her. And, I'm sure that...you were forced to be the next leader of everything, and—"

"And, that's none of your business," I interrupted, hating everything she said.

I hated it because it was true. I didn't need her telling me what I already knew. Hearing her, of all people, say it, made things worse than they really are.

She was quiet for a minute, almost making me regret using that tone of voice with her.

"I—"

"You're right. I'm sorry for prying," she said quietly.

She stood from the couch, making me look up at her. "I'm going to head to bed, I guess," she said, keeping her eyes from my direction.

I frowned, standing up so I could tower over her. "Tell me if you're upset," I demanded, wanting immediate answers to get rid of this feeling.

She looked up at me, her emerald eyes wide. "Of course not. I had no business prying like that. Honestly, I feel quite embarrassed for getting ahead of myself by saying those things to you. I know that I had no right to, yet I still did, and—"

I leaned down, closing the gap between our lips in a gentle kiss.

It was just to shut her up. But the moment her lips twitched against mine, the plans changed.

I grabbed her bare shoulders gently, feeling how soft her skin is. Pulling her closer to me, my lips began to become more demanding of hers on their own as our tongues tangled in knots.

She let out a soft moan, placing her hand on my chest, in what I assumed, a way to stop me. So, I did.

I looked at her, eyes feeling incredibly heavy to keep open as I stared at her face, wishing to read her mind. "What is it?" I asked, boldly letting my hands slide down her arms, to her waist so I could pull her body against mine.

I wasn't ready to stop for some reason. It's so strange. I never felt this attracted to anyone, including Xing's mother.

Out of all the three and a half years we had been together, we had only had sex a hand full of times, including the time we did to have Xing.

I never felt the urge to kiss her, let alone, _touch_ her, when she was near. I never felt the need to make her or anyone, aside from Xing, feel better because of something that bothered them, or made them uncomfortable.

All of this was new. It was so foreign, that I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"U-uh...Xing's...just a few feet from here, and I don't think that he'd be pleased to see us like this," she said timidly.

I stared at her face, searching to see if she just didn't want me like this. I didn't see that, thankfully. There was just concern and worry in her eyes, so I nodded.

"You would tell me if you don't want something, right? I know you're a virgin and haven't done anything, so I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything," I said gently, caressing her face unconsciously.

When had I slid my hands back up her body to her face?

She was so soft and delicate that I wanted to protect her from anything that could harm her.

Where the hell had this new feeling come from? I didn't even trust her around us a few weeks ago, but now I wanted to protect her?

"I know. I just... this really is about Xing," she explained with a blush on her cheeks.

"I know, I just mean any other time. Tell me if you're ever uncomfortable with this or anything," I said.

"I would tell you," she said in a reassuring tone.

"Say you understand, if you do, then," I said, just to reassure her and myself, that she knew what I meant. I didn't want this to get any more inappropriate than it already is.

She giggled, nodding her head. "I understand."

I leaned down and kissed her lips gently and then pulled back before it could get any further. "Good. You need to head to bed now. It's late and you need your rest," I said.

She pursed her lips, glaring at me playfully. "You need your rest too, mister," she said with a smile on her lips now.

I raised a brow, releasing my hold on her. "Get to bed, young lady," I said in an authoritative tone with a hint of sarcasm to let her know that I wasn't being serious with her, but at the same time, I was.

She surprised me with a giggle and this look of mirth in her eyes. "Yes, sir," she said in a fake pouting tone.

Fuck, why did I find her willingness so sexy?

I wanted to lean down and kiss her lips so hard, with the intent to claim her already.

I _really_ needed to get to bed, lest I do something I might regret later.

Staring down at her lips and beautiful, blushing face one last time, I dropped my hands from her soft face. I leaned down and kissed her forehead softly instead. "Goodnight, princess," I whispered against her head without thinking.

She froze under me, noticing my slip of tongue as well.

Instead of commenting on it, I pulled back from her and almost rushed to my room, closing the door behind myself.

What the hell was _that_ about?

* * *

"Daddy, Daddy! Come over and take a picture with us!" Xing exclaimed as him and Sakura stood by the pool, snapping pictures on her phone.

Xing had insisted on taking pictures on her phone when they were in the pool. They had been taking pictures for the last ten minutes, and now he wanted me to join them.

I swam with them for a few minutes before deciding that I had enough of making myself suffer with Sakura so close.

She had on an attractive swimsuit, showing me more than enough of her body to imagine her completely nude before me. Especially when she came from under the water, the force of it pulling her top down a little.

I stared at her slightly wet ass, wanting to grab the meaty flesh in my palms.

Before my body could react, I turned my eyes to safe territory; Xing. "No, you two have at it," I said, laying back on the stretched chair to enjoy the sun beaming against my skin.

We had been here since ten this morning. He didn't have anything on his mind, besides swimming, but I had convinced him to play some of the games at the arcade at the resort before we got on the yacht.

After the arcades, I attempted to teach him how to golf, but that didn't last long because of his need to swim.

They had been in the water for the last two hours before Sakura told him that she had to check her phone. He followed her and suggested taking pictures, which they were still doing because he hadn't had enough.

"Daddy!" I felt something heavy jump on top of me, causing my eyes to open immediately.

My eyes met with an amber pair that belonged to Xing, who had been sitting on top of me, straddling my stomach. I raised a brow, sitting up a bit to push him down so he could sit in front of me. "You guys finished?" I asked.

He frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "We want you to take pictures with us too," he whined.

My eyes drifted over to Sakura who had a grin on her face with her phone being held up.

"I'll take pictures of you guys," she suggested.

"But, you have to be in them too!" Xing whined.

I let out a sigh, making Xing turn over to look at me. "Stop all of this whining," I said, giving him a pointed look, that read, keep it up, or you'll be in big trouble.

The pout slowly left his lips with a smile that he tried to hold back. "So, no pictures?" he asked.

I sighed, nodding my head towards Sakura to snap a picture of us together.

She grinned, holding her phone up.

Immediately, Xing was settling himself in my lap to pose for the camera.

I gave the camera a neutral look as Sakura snapped the picture.

"No smile?" she asked after snapping another picture.

I stared at her face hard, almost telling her not to mention that in front of Xing.

"Daddy, you have to smile! Like me!" He grinned widely, showing all his teeth.

A small smile tugged at my lips, finding humor in the expression his face has.

"That's enough pictures," I said in a finalizing tone.

"No pictures with Sakura and us?" He sounded so sad that I almost wanted to give in to the idea.

"I'm sure Sakura is tired of taking pictures," I said, hoping she heard my voice telling her to agree with me.

"W-well—"

"Please, please, please?" Xing begged with his hands clasped together, looking at her with _the_ eyes.

"O-okay, then," she said sheepishly.

I would have glared at her for being so weak, but she was already walking over to us with her phone.

She switched the camera over to face us before moving over to me, so the camera could get all three of us in it.

I looked up at her screen, eyes immediately landing on her breast as she tried to get the perfect angle.

And that's when I felt it. Soft, plump flesh pressed against my back, causing the most delicious stir in my stomach, down to my manhood.

"Smile," she whispered in my ear.

My skin broke out in goosebumps, itching to feel her hot breath caress every single part of me.

I forced a small uncomfortable smile on my lips, looking at the camera.

When she finally snapped the picture, Xing left my side, forcing me to drop my hands down to my swimming trunks to hide the raging erection from her, instantly.

Wrong move.

Her eyes landed where my hands were, widening as soon as she saw what I had a grasp of.

My eyes landed on her face, seeing it redder than I had ever seen it before.

 _Fuck, she knows._

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Xing said, breaking the tension between us.

I was up on my feet within a blink of an eye, telling him we needed to get changed first.

"Let's go," I said quietly to her without looking in her direction.

She followed us inside the yacht, listening to Xing talk to me about his friends from school.

I motioned to one of the small rooms for her to get rinsed off from the chlorine and changed.

She didn't say anything, besides almost rushing to the room with the medium-sized bag on her arm.

Me and Xing went to one room and I got him changed into a plain casual outfit before changing into a casual, collared, button-down shirt and khaki cargo shorts.

"Go ahead to the dining room. Sakura should be there. I have to make a quick call and I'll be right with you guys," I informed him.

The smile on his face faltered, tears immediately filling his eyes. "I thought that you said no work today," he said sadly.

I froze, looking down at him. "Don't cry, buddy. This isn't work-related—"

"Then you shouldn't have to take a call!" he exclaimed.

Just as he said that, my phone began to ring, making the tears fall from his eyes. "I hate you! I hate you! You always choose work over me!" he yelled, and then ran out of the room, leaving me stunned.

It took me a few seconds to get it together before I ended the call from ringing, rushing after him.

The moment I ran to the dining room, I stopped, seeing his arms wrapped around Sakura's legs tightly as he sobbed loudly.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking at me worried, as she rest her hands on his shoulder.

"I—"

"Daddy hates me! He hates me and doesn't love me! He wants to work and, and, and!" he wailed, leaving me at a loss for words.

"Xing, honey, I need you to breathe." Her voice sounded desperate to stop his crying.

I walked towards them, motioning Sakura to release him so I could take over. I grabbed his shoulders, but he roughly shrugged my hands away, infuriating me.

He had never disrespected me like this before.

"Xing," I called gently.

"No! I don't want to hear it anymore! The things you always tell me are lies and—"

"Xing!" I called loudly in an authoritative tone, making him go silent.

"That is enough," I said sternly. "Let Sakura go."

Immediately, he released Sakura, stepping back from her.

"Come here," I demanded, looking at his red, tear-stained face.

I wanted to rip my aching heart out at seeing that look. But, I had to put my foot down or he would act like a stubborn, angry child for the rest of the day.

He walked over to me slowly, folding his arms.

"Drop the attitude and face now," I said.

His brows immediately relaxed, being replaced with a sad expression.

I grabbed his shoulders, making him look at me. "I was **not** making a phone call for work, okay? I had to call your grandma," I said, staring in his eyes hard.

His eyes widened as if he didn't expect me to say that. "Obāchan?" he questioned.

"Yes. I told you that there would be no work today. Just you and Sakura," I said, requoting what I promised him this morning when we first woke up.

He bit the inside of his cheek sheepishly, letting his eyes drop down to the floor, ashamed of his behavior, no doubts. "I'm sorry...I didn't know...could you forgive me?" he asked sheepishly.

"If you could give me a hug," I said, smiling at him a little.

Immediately, he wrapped his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. "I'm sorry," he murmured over and over in my neck.

I hugged him back, holding his head against me while letting out a silent sigh. Mother would just have to wait.

Sakura cleared her throat, getting our attention.

I released him, looking up at her. She had on a plain, simple tan dress that stopped a few inches above her knees.

"Is everything okay...?" she trailed off, raising a brow.

"Of course. It was just a misunderstanding," I said quickly, standing from the floor before my dirty mind tried to conjure up something naughty.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Sakura," Xing said, smiling at her sadly.

She smiled at him, pinching his cheeks playfully. "Of course, you didn't. I forgive you, but I am starving," she said, looking at me.

"Food's already done. I had the cook make the food at the resort. I just have to warm it up," I said.

Sakura was quick to interject with, "Oh, you've already gone through the trouble of getting us here, so I'll warm the food up while you guys sit and relax," she said, ushering us to sit down.

My skin tingled under her soft touch as she held on to my arm.

"I—"

"No buts, mister. I'm not taking it as an answer," she said, already heading to the kitchen after she had escorted me and Xing to the table.

Feeling like I had no other choice, I sighed, turning my attention to Xing.

"So... how was your first week of school? Did you like it?" I asked.

He hummed, looking thoughtful in the chair beside me. "It was okay," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What happened, aside from the incident? You were so happy in the beginning of the week," I said.

"Well, I made lots of friends." His face began to brighten up at the mention of his friends. "They're all very nice. The teacher's very nice too, and everyone's nice to me—oh, except this one kid. He was mean and didn't want to share the crayons with me."

I poked his side, making a smile form on his lips as he giggled. "They were his crayons, though," I reminded him.

He pursed his lips slightly. "But, I shared mine with him too," he interjected.

"Well, next time, no acting out," I said.

"I won't. Or, Sakura will be very sad. And daddy too," he said, adding me in quickly.

"Why will Sakura be sad?" I asked, dropping the volume of my tone so he could hear me only.

"Well...you have to keep it a secret from her," he said sheepishly.

"Of course." My voice sounded sure and certain.

"Well...she says that I should be good for daddy so that daddy could be happy," he said quietly. "She always says that to me, so she must want you to be happy. I think she likes you."

When a frown formed on his lips, I knew what that meant. "Not as much as she likes you," I said, leaning over to ruffle his hair.

"Really?"

"Of course. I'm just a friend to her and that's all," I said, hoping to reassure him that he didn't have anything to feel jealous about.

"So... she won't ever be my mommy?" he asked in a hushed tone.

I looked at him, wondering if he _wanted_ her to be his mom.

The idea didn't seem unpleasant, but I would never force that on her. She was still young and needed maturity in certain aspects of her life. She needed to live and experience a lot more before being tied down to a kid, so I wouldn't do that to her.

After everything she has been through, she deserves the best of the best. And for whatever reason, I intended to give her the best as much as I could.

But, there was still the nagging questions in my head, asking, had she said anything to him about this? Or did he ask her anything about it again? Did they have the discussion together without me knowing about it?

Not able to stop this feeling of agitation at not knowing these things, I stood up from the table.

"Sit here for one minute while I go help Sakura," I said, already walking towards the direction of the kitchen.

Just when I stood at the entrance, I heard her humming a soft tune with her melodic voice as she held two plates in her hand with her back turned towards me.

My eyes raked down her body, landing on her ass that was covered by the dress she had on.

Why did the sight of her in a kitchen look so appealing?

With quiet steps, I sauntered over to her in large strides, feeling the need to trap her.

When I stood so close behind her, but not quite touching her, I was surprised she had not noticed my presence still.

This both thrilled and irritated me. Thrilled because she had her guard down while around my place, which meant she trusts me. But, irritated at the same time, annoyed at not knowing if she's always this carefree with her guard down around anyone else.

My hands dropped to her waist, pulling her back against me slightly.

Just as I expected, she jumped, dropping the plates back down on the counter before turning to me, while my arms still remained around her.

She looked up at my towering form with wide-eyes before her tense body relaxed. She moved a delicate hand up to her chest, rubbing it gently. "Good gracious, you scared me. I didn't hear you come in," she said with a smile on her lips.

As if she noticed my eyes there, the blood immediately rushed to her cheeks. "I was just about to bring the food out," she said sheepishly.

Unconsciously, or maybe so consciously, my hands slid down her waist, going straight to her small pert bum.

She gasped, body tensing in my arms.

Just from her immediate reaction, I could tell she still didn't trust me. I didn't like that at all.

"Relax," I said softly, not moving my hands, even the slightest bit. I didn't want to take anything she was not willing to give.

After a very few seconds, her body untensed and she relaxed in my arms.

That reaction automatically made me want to grab the soft, but firm skin, and squeeze the hell out of it until my fingerprints appeared.

"I want you to trust me with everything," I said, no trace of emotions in my statement. I was serious about this, and I didn't even know why.

"I—"

"Depend on me when you need something, and come to me about anything that bothers you, okay?" I said, looking her in the eyes.

I could see her throat bob as she swallowed nervously. Gosh, why did I want to lick right there, too?

"O-okay," she said shyly, though there was no sincerity in her tone that told me she would.

"I need you to trust me."

She was quiet for a moment, making me realize I couldn't just **make** her trust and depend on me. I would have to show her she could.

"Xing has told me about the discussion you two had," I said quietly.

"W-which one?"

"You, being his mother," I said.

Her eyes flew to mine. "We didn't have that discussion," she said immediately.

A huge sigh of relief escaped my mouth, pulling her closer to me. I didn't even know they didn't, but I said it to make her tell me, in case they did have that conversation again.

"Did something happen? Did he say something about it?" she asked, sounding worried.

I dropped one of my hands from her rear end, travelling up to her face. "Nothing. Don't worry about it," I said.

"But—"

"I don't like to repeat myself," I reminded her.

She sighed. "Okay. I'll try not to—"

"You **won't** worry because there is nothing to worry about. This is why I said trust me. If I say that you have nothing to worry about, then you—"

"Daddy?"

I was away from her in mere seconds before he was able to address me fully.

I turned around towards the kitchen entrance, seeing he just appeared there.

"We just finished. I was about to grab your plate and bring it to you," I said calmly.

He looked at us and smiled, nodding his head. "I was starting to think that you guys forgot about me," he said, rushing over to us.

"O-of course not. Here," Sakura said, handing him the plate.

We grabbed our plates and went back to the small dining room.

Once we settled into our seats, Sakura and Xing sitting across from me, we began to eat in silence. With the exception of Xing playing with his food and making all kind of weird noises, of course.

"Stop playing with your food," I said after swallowing down my own.

"But it makes eating so much funner," he said with a grin on his face.

Where did his character come from?

I shook my head with a small smile tugging at my lips. "Just eat your food."

He let out a pouting noise, stuffing his face with the food.

Sakura giggled, making me look in her direction. "You don't have to stuff yourself," she said.

"I know, but I'm sleepy," he said tiredly. "Could I take a nap, Daddy?"

"After you finish your food."

After that, he was quick to finish the rest of his food.

He ended up laying on the couch by himself and falling fast asleep before Sakura and I had even finished our food.

"Casual fits you," she said softly after taking a sip of her drink.

"What?"

"Your clothes. I think casual fits you," she repeated, smiling at me.

I clenched my jaw, unsure how to respond to such a statement. No one had ever told me that before until now.

"It makes me feel more...comfortable around you." She sounded uncertain about it.

"Tell me how it _really_ makes you feel," I said, using a tone that told her it was fine for her to talk about her feelings with me.

"I don't feel so scared and nervous anymore." Now, she sounded sincere and honest about it.

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I know you're out of the intimidating, influential character," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm the same me, though," I said in a flat tone.

"I know, but..." She looked down at her plate, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"Look at me," I said in a gentle tone.

Instantly, she looked at me with a timid smile on her face. "Maybe it's just all in my head."

I nodded. "Maybe."

A comfortable silence passed between us, laying itself like a thick comforter in the room.

"Let's go out on the deck for fresh air," I suggested.

When she agreed, my heart nearly leapt for joy at the little time we would have alone finally.

What the hell was my problem these days?

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for the support! I know it's been a minute, but I'm finally back with another chapter. I'm not too sure how to feel about this chapter, but it may just be because it's been a minute since I posted for this story. I'm going to try and focus on this story a bit more, seeing that I post a chapter, say I will have another one out soon, but never get around to it. I never realize how much I enjoy writing this one until I upload a chapter xD.**

 **I have started on the next chapter already, so the wait shouldn't be long! :)**


	20. A New Fire

**"A New Fire"**

* * *

I leaned against the railing of the boat, staring at the shimmering blue water, due to the sun.

It felt nice out today. It may just be because I'm out with them— _him_ , right now.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Syaoran staring at me. Well, more like feel him staring at me. I turned to him with a smile on my face. "What is it?" I asked, wondering if there was something on my face.

As if he felt that he got caught, he looked away quickly. "N-nothing, I just..."

I looked at his face, seeing his cheeks turn a light pink color. It was surprising to see that he was blushing.

 _For what, though?_

"Is it the breeze? It is a little ch—"

"N-no. It's not that," he said quickly. "You're just..." He sighed.

I frowned, wondering if I had done something. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing...I just think I'm getting way over my head," he said.

The frown on my face deepened. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I've never..." He paused before continuing, "This is all new to me."

My brows scrunched together in confusion. "What?"

"Bringing someone else here, other than Xing," he said.

"Oh...I didn't have to come—"

"That's not what I'm saying. If I didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here." He gave me a deadpanned look.

"What are you trying to say then?" I asked quietly, holding on to the rail.

"It's nice."

I could feel my cheeks warm a little at that statement. "I like being here with you guys too," I said softly.

He took a deep breath and then released it before stuffing his hands in his pockets, looking awkwardly at the sight before us. "Anyway, I was thinking about it," he said suddenly.

"Hoe?"

"Everything between us," he said.

My face almost felt like it could melt into a puddle of lava as my mind thought about _everything_ between us. "O-oh..."

"I want to say the kissing should stop and we should stop whatever we're unconsciously trying to do. Xing suspects you like me, and I detect that he doesn't like that," he said, looking serious.

"Oh..."

"But, it won't stop. I don't want to stop whatever the hell we have going on here," he said, turning towards me.

I jumped a little, surprised by his sudden attention. I swallowed nervously, unsure of how to respond. He was so blunt and bold that it always felt unnerving.

"I've reasoned with myself enough about all of this, and I... I'm done trying to reason," he said.

 _What is he talking about?_

"I'm attracted to you immensely. You're beautiful, so it's only natural for me to be."

I blushed, looking down at the ground shyly. "Th-thanks..." I said timidly.

"So, I need you to tell me to stop and never kiss you again," he said.

I looked up at him, surprised to hear that. "W-what?"

"Do you like me?"

I stared at him, wondering how I should answer that question. It was so sudden and random that it barely made sense to me.

My heart did beat at the thought of him and every time he touched me. There was always this strong pull I get towards him. I could feel the sparks everyone talked about whenever he was close...and he could be nice at times to me. But, he wasn't Yukito. The way I felt about him was different from Yukito, and that's who I liked.

"I... don't know you enough to _like_ you, but I do appreciate you and think you're very kind. I am attracted to you... but, I... know that nothing could happen between us," I said uncertainly.

"What?"

I looked up at him, wondering what he didn't get. "You...I..."

It was quiet between us, making us finally experience our first awkward moment of the day.

"Well—"

"You're right," he interrupted suddenly, voice sounding distant again.

Not this...we were just getting somewhere. Did I do something wrong? Or, say the wrong thing?

"Don't do that..." I said quietly. "We were just doing fine, and you were talking and... now, you're trying to crawl back into that hole that I hate. Please don't do that."

His eyes widened as he stared at me surprised.

I sighed, clamping my hands together in front of me. "You...always do that." I looked away, not sure how to hold his gaze while saying this. I didn't know how he would react. "When it comes to talking about your thoughts or feelings on something, you shut down and act as if nothing else matters besides your duties..."

"That is all that matters," he said blandly.

I frowned. "Oh?"

"Being a dad is a duty, my career is a duty, and so is my character. There are specific guidelines set out for me to follow in life, so I don't need you thinking that you could come here and change any of that." There was no coldness to his tone for once when he said that.

I turned to him with a determined look on my face. "I'm not thinking I can change anything about you, Syaoran," I said softly. I could see no reason to get upset or hurt by the things he said anymore.

I did at first, but I was beginning to see through this facade that Kenta mentioned he had when I first met them. He could be so nice and warm at times when living in the moment, but when it came to his life, career, and decisions to do something, he closed his real self down. He didn't want me to know the real Syaoran behind the high class, strict, and professional persona he has. He only wanted me to see the mean, cold, and heartless Syaoran. I couldn't allow him to be that way anymore with me.

I was surprised when he opened up to me last night about Xing's mother. He showed me a side of him that made me realize that he's not as mean as he shows himself. He's a shadow in a family who controls everything in his life.

But I wasn't going to allow that to happen anymore.

"I do want to help you realize that everything is not a duty, though. You can do what you—"

"I can do whatever the hell I want. I choose my path in life and I commit my actions, my words, and my thoughts of my own freewill. I don't need you telling me how to live my life," he said, his voice sounding cold now.

"Syaoran—"

"Go inside," he interrupted.

I frowned, surprised to hear him demanding me again. "No," I said defiantly, having enough of his attitude.

He looked at me, eyes showing disbelief that I had just disobeyed him.

"You say you want me to trust you, yet you do things like this," I said, feeling really fed up with his mess.

"What?"

"Bossing me around and ready to chastise me when I don't obey you," I said, feeling my heart beat erratically in my chest. I wasn't scared, just starting to feel irritated with the man. What did he want?

"I—"

"Am I just here for you to boss me around? Someone you can control in your life since you seem to have so little because of your family?" I asked without thinking.

Everything made so much sense when I said it, but I almost regretted it when saying it.

But, it was all so true. I didn't understand why he was so bossy and demanding of everything until he opened up last night. It all made so much more sense the more I thought about it.

He doesn't want me riding the bus or subway, so he insisted on me riding with them to school. He insisted on Kenta picking me up from school and he's always insistent on knowing who my friends are and where I am at all times.

The contract just all seemed as a means to have control over everything I did, when it shouldn't have.

Was it his intentions, or was he genuinely doing all of that just to keep Xing protected? Was there more to this, or was I just looking too deep into all of this?

I do have the tendency to overthink things and look way too deep into everything, but for some reason, I didn't think it was my anxiety kicking in this time. This time, I had to be right.

I remembered reading in a book one time that when a person doesn't have control over their own lives, they try and control others to feel like they have some control. And, this is what it seemed like Syaoran was doing sometimes.

Even though he said to trust him; that I have nothing to worry about with him, I couldn't feel like I do, because I was scared to speak my mind. If he wanted me to trust him, I should be allowed to say what I think and feel.

"Is that...do you feel like I'm controlling you?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

I swallowed, holding on to the rail tightly. "Sometimes."

He let out a sigh, face looking in distress. "Shit..." He turned to me abruptly. "That's not my intentions—"

"Really?" I asked, giving a look that told him that I don't believe him. "You may think that I'm some naive, stupid child who doesn't know any better, but I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

I could have pat myself on the back right now for having the guts to speak my mind and stand up for myself like I used to before meeting him. I did this often, but normally held myself back from saying too much. I couldn't hold this back any longer now that I have a slight insight on how his family is and him.

If I wanted to remain in his life, along with Xing and be happy at the same time, I had to be strong and have a backbone. I had to speak my mind sometimes.

"I never said you were," he said quickly.

"You don't act like it, though," I said quietly.

"I don't think you're stupid," Syaoran said again with a bit more force to his tone.

My heart tightened in my chest in anticipation of what would happen next. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him move closer to me.

"Why would you think that I think that?" he asked in a softer tone.

I looked down, suddenly feeling shy at the close proximity of his body. I didn't move away, though.

"I..." I swallowed, at a loss for words now.

"Can you look at me?" he asked gently.

Surprised to hear him ask for a change, I looked up at him. He never asked me to do anything.

"Why would you think that?" he asked again, staring at me so intensely that my cheeks decided to warm on their own accord.

"Because... you're 22...older than me and have way more experience than me because of your age. Even though I've experienced independency briefly after Touya, it still wasn't enough to compare to your experience. And, my age. Most adults would look down on any high schooler and just see them as that..."

 _Calm down, stupid heart!_

"I know that I'm not experienced in a lot of things in life, but that doesn't mean I'm completely oblivious to the world. How else do you think I've lived alone for all these months? I'm not stupid and won't allow you to think that anymore," I said, voice sounding a little determined. I kept his gaze. I didn't budge or flinch, wanting to stand my ground. He even looked surprised.

He swallowed. "Sakura...I'm...I've never intended to make you feel that way. I know you aren't stupid and I'm not just looking at you as some hopeless high schooler who needs my help. If I threw you out right now, I know you'd make a way or try to find something on your own without even asking for any help from anyone. That's how we met each other," he said.

I frowned, confused as ever now. "How are you viewing me then?" I asked quietly.

"Do you really think that I would have the desire to do the things we've done with other girls at your school?" he asked in a disgraceful tone. "It's hard enough being attracted to you when you're not even my age."

I looked at the distraught expression on his face. "So..."

"You're different, though. Even Xing knows it. I can't help but see what he sees in you now, even though I've tried my hardest not to," he said quietly.

 _Huh?_

"And what's that?" I asked.

 _Oh, gosh, what is he thinking right now?_

When he stared at me with this foreign look in his eyes, the alarms in my head went off, yelling that we should stop this conversation before something spiraled from it.

I looked away, letting out an awkward laugh. "Are you going to answer the question?" I asked teasingly to ease the tension between us.

"You—"

His phone went off, interrupting him.

I let out a soft sigh, nodding my head slowly to tell him I didn't mind him answering it, before I turned back over to look out at the water.

To my surprise, from the corner of my eyes, I could see him ending the call instead of answering it.

"I promised this weekend to you guys, so I won't break it," he said.

"Well, if it's important and you have to take it, then I can understand—"

"Nothing's more important than my time with y—" He stopped, piquing my interest. "With Xing."

I tilted my head to the side. "But, I'm not...Xing," I said slowly. "I'm sure he won't wake up right now."

"W-well... It's not like it was an important phone call, so we can..."

When I looked at him, there was a tinge of red staining his cheeks. Smiling, I couldn't help but wonder what had him all flustered.

"Y-you could wander around if you want to. I don't want to make you feel like you have to stay out here with me and talk, you know," he rushed out.

I giggled, shaking my head. "Of course not. I want to be here," I said reassuringly.

"You do?" he asked.

"Yes. I want to be a friend of the man who's saved my life. I know it sounds cliché, but you are kind of like the Prince who saved the princess, though I wouldn't really consider myself a princess—but, that's aside from the point—what I'm just saying is...you've saved me, and you said you've never really had a friend before out of the 22 years of your life, so... I was kind of hoping that I could change that out of gratitude for...saving me. I hope that doesn't sound weird or anything, because I don't mean it like that, but..." Oh gosh, I was rambling again...

Why was I still so nervous?

When Syaoran did not say anything, it made matters worse for me.

"I—"

"You talk too much," he said suddenly.

I frowned, not sure if I should be offended by that or not.

"It's irritating and annoying."

Now, I was offended.

"Well—"

"But...it makes me want to be around you and enjoy your company," he said, turning away from me.

I turned towards him with a shy smile on my face. "You don't always have to be mean when you're trying to say something nice..." I said quietly.

His cheeks colored even more, making me grin from ear to ear. "I'm...not being nice. I'm just being honest," he said in annoyed tone.

I giggled, shaking my head. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a frown.

"It just means..." I sighed. "I can't trust your character sometimes because you say things you don't mean."

He made a slight grunting sound, showing displeasure with my response.

When he still did not say anything, I cleared my throat. "So... since you've never really had any friends, you haven't hung out with anyone before?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I go out to get drinks from time to time, but...it's just to get drinks," he said.

"Let's go out," I said, coming up with an idea.

"W-what?" he stammered.

"Let's go out, so I can show you how much fun it is to go out with a friend," I said, smiling at him reassuringly.

"U-uh...like a date?" he asked uncertainly.

He was never uncertain.

His uncertainty and insinuation made my cheeks warm a bit as I shook my head vigorously. "I-I didn't mean it like that, really. I just..."

"You haven't been on a date before?" he suddenly asked.

I'm sure my face really was a lava puddle now due to the shame and embarrassment of my inexperience in life.

"N-no, but it's just because I've never really focused on that aspect of my life...like romance," I defended on my lack of experience, behalf.

He was surely probably thinking of me as a child now.

"Let me take you out on one then," he said, surprising me.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"Well...you said you haven't been on one before and you're trying to show me how it feels to hang out with a friend, so why not?" he said.

 _That is true..._

I smiled at him and nodded. "Why not, then," I said.

"It's a date, then."

* * *

"Up, Sakura," I heard a voice say distantly.

"Yeah, up, Sakura! Or, we'll be late!"

I felt a little body jump on my bed, waking me from my slumber. Moaning and letting out a sigh, I pulled the blankets closer to my body, hoping I can sink back into that peaceful place.

"Sakura."

At hearing that voice again, I released my hold on the blanket, peeking my head from under the covers at the man. "Do we really have to get up so early?" I asked grouchily. I was acting a little childish, but what could I say? I'm not a morning person. I never have and never will be.

Syaoran sighed, shaking his head. "Unfortunately. We have to get back early today. I don't want to keep Xing out all day. You still have school tomorrow and I still have work. Get up."

I sighed, knowing I couldn't convince him to let me sleep a little longer. "What's the time?" I asked, attempting to try one more time.

Syaoran raised a brow. "Get up or you'll be left here alone on this resort."

I groaned, burying my face in the pillow.

Xing laughed, climbing off the bed when Syaoran told him to come out of the room with him.

Once I heard the door close, I sat up from my lying position and looked around the room. I sighed, not wanting to leave this place. It had been a lot of fun being here with them.

They were both incredible people to be with—at least Xing was. Syaoran had started acting better after I agreed to go on the date with him yesterday. Xing had woken up after an hour of us sitting out on the balcony talking, and he had been neutral since.

He was no longer acting distant and uncomfortable with me around them. He was not trying to protect Xing from me or anything.

It felt...

"No, no, no! You're getting in way over your head, Sakura!" I exclaimed when feeling my heart beat faster in my chest.

I hopped out of bed, fully awake now. I had one more day to spend with them fully before school tomorrow.

What would we do today...

A knock came on my door, making me jump.

Before I could even answer to it, the person opened the door, revealing Syaoran. I stared at him like a deer caught in the head lights.

His eyes dropped down to my body, making me feel conscious of my appearance.

I didn't have on the most clothes right now...

"I-I..."

I looked at his stuttering form before he turned away. "I was just..." He groaned. "Just get ready so we can go."

He stormed out of the room before I could even respond and shut the door.

What was with him and this blushing lately?

I giggled, shaking my head before heading to the shower. I took a quick shower and slipped on some shorts and a t-shirt after I finished. I pushed—well, forced my short hair back into a pony-tail. I didn't feel like blow drying today.

I looked at my appearance in the mirror, wondering if Syaoran would think I look plain. Did I need to do something different? Change my shirt, maybe? My shorts? Were they too short? They reached a little longer than my mid-thigh, so they couldn't be too short, right—?

I stopped, wondering why I even cared what Syaoran would think of me.

I moved away from the mirror and grabbed my bag from the corner of the room before heading to the living room where they were waiting for me.

"Finally, you made it after 10 years, slowpoke," Xing exaggerated.

"You know I'm not a morning person," I said, pinching his cheeks teasingly.

Xing groaned, swatting my hand away. " _Noo_."

"You look different."

I paused at that voice. "I, uh, have all my hair pushed back," I said uncertainly, not looking in his direction. I wanted to ask if I looked weird but decided against it. It's not like it mattered.

"It looks good," I heard him say quietly.

My cheeks warmed before I stooped down in front of Xing, turning my attention to him after murmuring a soft 'thank you.' "How'd you sleep last night?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Well, it was a little weird..." he said, looking down at his shoes.

"And, why's that?" I asked, ruffling his hair to make him look at me.

"Because I didn't get to sleep with you!" he whined, swatting my hands away, but walking between my legs so he could wrap his arms around my neck.

I giggled, shaking my head as I stood up, picking him up with me. He automatically wrapped his legs around my waist as I turned to Syaoran, who just seemed to watch the scene. He didn't look irritated or annoyed.

"Well, you could've just asked me, you know. Besides, I thought we only made that deal when daddy isn't home," I said.

"Well..."

"You know it's not a good idea to let that become a habit, right?" Syaoran said beside me.

I looked at him, seeing a brow raised in interest. I grinned at him. "I know. He's still a kid, though," I said.

"Hey, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a big boy!" Xing exclaimed, making me giggle.

"Big boys don't sleep with others," Syaoran said.

Xing frowned, looking at me sadly. "But...but...so..."

I kissed his nose lightly. "Big boys sleep with others to keep them protected. Daddy's just being mean right now," I said, looking at Syaoran with a grin on my face.

He just stared at me with a raised brow as I placed Xing down on his feet.

He giggled at my statement, nodding his head. "Daddy's always being mean," he said confidently.

"I know! Sometimes I wonder if there's a single inch of niceness in those bones of his," I said teasingly.

When Xing laughed along with me, I could feel Syaoran glare at me.

"Let's just go," he said, grabbing all of our small bags and trudging out of the small house.

I laughed, grabbing his wallet and keys he seemed to forget on the counter. Oh, and Xing's hand too.

"Daddy's a very cranky old man, isn't he?" Xing asked me as we walked out of house together.

"Well, I think he just has a hard time expressing what he feels," I said, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly.

"What does that even mean?"

I giggled. "I don't know myself sometimes."

Once we reached the car, I held up his wallet and keys as he seemed to be lost in thought.

When his eyes caught mine, his face turned a little red for some reason and he trudged over to me and grabbed his wallet and keys from me.

He murmured a soft thank you before opening the door for me and Xing to climb in the car.

He was really weird sometimes.

The ride home was quite uneventful. Thanks to Xing, the ride wasn't awkward. He gave us both something to talk about that we had in common; himself.

When Syaoran pulled up into the driveway of the house, Xing suggested us swimming.

More water?

"We went swimming yesterday," I said, unbuckling my seat-belt.

"But, I want to swim today too..." Xing said sadly.

Syaoran turned around, looking at Xing who is sitting in the car seat. "No swimming, Xing. Sakura has homework to get done and I need to prepare for the week," Syaoran said gently.

Xing frowned, dropping his head. "Maybe, I could...go swimming by myself..." he said quietly.

"You know that's not an option. We can do something else later when everything's finished," Syaoran said, opening his door and stepping out as a means to end the conversation.

I looked at Xing, seeing the threatening tears in his eyes. "Your father means well, Xing," I said quietly before Syaoran opened his door and helped Xing out the door.

I hopped out the car and followed them inside the house quietly as Xing kept quiet.

Syaoran turned something on the TV and told Xing to watch something until he finished preparing for the week.

"Uh..." I stopped Syaoran before he could walk out of the living room.

He looked at me with a questioning look on his face.

"Uhh...is it okay for me to...sit with him for a bit?" I asked uncertainly.

He looked at me oddly, making me feel weird for asking.

"Yeah? You don't have to ask for my permission at this point, Sakura," he said.

I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. "Okay."

"I'll be in my office if you guys need anything," he said before disappearing down the hall.

As soon as I heard the door close to his office, I walked over to Xing, who is sitting on the couch looking at his hands sadly. I sat down beside him.

"What's wrong, honey?" I asked softly, wrapping my arm around him.

He sighed, relaxing in my arms. "It's just...I didn't want yesterday to ever end with daddy being with us. Swimming is what normally makes him spend time with me since that's what we always do, but now..."

I smiled sadly, suddenly understanding what he was getting at. "Daddy just has a lot of work to do. He'll spend time with you regardless if you guys are swimming or not. He wasn't being mean this time."

"I know, it's just..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Can we do something together?"

I smiled. "Of course. What do you have in mind?"

"Well... I haven't played the piano for a while, so I was thinking maybe I could show you how awesome I am at it," he said, grinning at me.

Giggling, I nodded my head. "Do you guys even have a piano?"

"Of course, but daddy keeps the door locked to the piano room," he said quietly.

I quirked a brow, wondering if it was the same room I couldn't get into. Well, there were two rooms that he had locked that I'd never been in before. I guess one of them is the piano room.

"Well...I guess that would mean that we have to ask him, huh?" I asked.

"Well...you can ask him," he said quietly.

I raised a brow, wondering if there was something more to the room. Why else would he have it locked? It didn't make much sense to me. If it was locked, that meant he had something to hide.

"I can, unless...you know where the key is," I said, deciding not to ask Syaoran after all. I wanted to know what it was he is hiding too.

Xing seemed sketchy about it, so I couldn't help but feel the same.

"Daddy leaves all the keys in his office drawer," he said.

I smiled, standing from the couch. "Wait here and watch tv while I get the key," I instructed him.

Xing grinned, nodding his head before I headed down the hall to his office. I wasn't sure how I'd get it, but I could hope that something came up on the spot.

I knocked on the door softly, feeling my heart hammer against my chest.

 _Calm down, Sakura!_

"Come in," I heard him say faintly.

 _Darn it!_

I opened the door slowly, walking inside. I closed the door behind me for some reason.

Syaoran turned around, looking at me with a raised brow.

"U-umm...what are you in here doing?" I asked awkwardly.

He gave me a deadpanned look.

I walked further in the room slowly towards him. "I was just wondering if…" I stopped, not sure what I could say.

 _Oh!_

"I was wondering if you wanted to talk about what we would do on our date?"

"Huh?"

I frowned. "You've forgotten already?" I asked, pursing my lips slightly.

"No, I just...didn't think that you would want to discuss that..." he said uncertainly.

"Of course I would. I'm kind of anxious about it..." I said shyly, almost feeling my heart explode in my chest.

He looked at the chair beside his drawer, motioning me to sit down. "Let's make this quick then," he said before opening the desk drawer to take out a notepad.

I looked in the drawer, seeing a set of keys at the front part of the files before he closed it quickly and locked it.

"You sure keep a lot of things locked in this house," I said teasingly before sitting down in the chair.

I froze when he turned to me with a hard look in his eyes. "What are you trying to get at?" he asked skeptically.

Gosh, he was definitely hiding something.

I swallowed, shaking my head. "Nothing, I just...noticed," I said.

He sat the notepad down on the desk and started writing things down on it.

Curiosity getting the best of me, I leaned over slightly to see what he is writing.

His schedule?

He pointed to the book. "These are the times when I'm free, but it all depends on Ms. Hana's schedule," he said.

"Hana?"

"Yes, she will have to watch Xing, unless you thought we would take him along with us," he said.

Swallowing the huge lump in my throat, I shook my head. "O-Of course not. I just..." What was I thinking? Of course Xing wouldn't come along with us!

I looked at the paper again, noticing the time and date. "That's two months from now," I stated.

"That's when I'm free."

I frowned, not liking that at all. "You're a workaholic," I said without thinking.

"W-what?"

"You're planning for our date to be three months from now?" I asked.

"That's the only time I have within the next three months," he said in a disapproving tone.

He wasn't liking where I was going with this.

"Planning your life three months in advance is a bit much, don't you think?" I asked.

"Not for me—"

"I mean, by the time three months are up, I could have already gone on my first date with someone else," I said, looking thoughtfully.

It was true. I may have said no to a lot of boys in my years of school, but I had made a promise with myself to loosen up a little and have fun my last year.

"What? You're already liking someone else?" he asked, sounding offended.

"U-uhh...no?" I answered uncertainly. "I just thought that..."

"I said that I'd take you out on your first date, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but—"

"So, why are you saying that someone else would?"

"Because—"

"I'll reschedule this week and we can go out," he said quickly.

I raised a brow, wondering if I could speak now.

"Is that okay with you?" he asked.

"Uh...if you're sure," I said awkwardly.

"Of course. Just...don't say stuff like that."

"Eh?" What was he going on about?

"That you'll go out with someone else," he said, turning away from me.

"I..." I didn't know what to say to that statement. I mean...what did he want me to say? Was he trying to tell me that I wasn't allowed to date other people?

Who was he to tell me that?

I frowned. "Is it a problem if I decided to?" I asked in a challenging tone.

He turned back to me with wide eyes. "Why would you go out with someone else when you're going out with me?"

"B-because you're not my boyfriend?"

Why were we even having this conversation?

When Syaoran didn't say anything, I couldn't help but feel like I said something wrong.

"We'll go to dinner on Thursday evening," he said in a tone that sounded like he was ending the conversation.

What?

He turned back to his laptop, scrolling through his emails.

When I didn't say anything, he turned to me again with a questioning look on his face. "Is there anything else you need?"

"U-Uh...I was wondering..." I trailed off, unsure of how I could get the keys now.

"You're on my time," he said, sounding impatient now.

"The piano," I blurted on mistake.

"What?"

"Xing wanted to play the piano, but..."

"The door's locked," he finished for me.

"Yeah. Is there a reason it's locked?" I asked timidly.

"Because it's not a playroom."

"So, we can't..."

He looked at me with a blank expression on his face, making me feel like he was done with this conversation too.

He didn't seem interested in talking to me anymore. Was it really so bad that I mentioned going on a _date_ with another guy?

"Okay. Never mind then," I said, standing from the chair abruptly.

Without it even being my intentions, I noticed that I was towering over him.

His breath caught in his throat before he looked up at me with his cheeks scarlet red.

Seeing that look sparked something in me that had never been sparked before. I don't know what came over me—no, I don't know what came over my _mind_ to do it, but I moved between us parted legs after seeing his face.

He almost scrambled back, but he was in the chair which stopped him from getting far. "W-What are you doing?" he stuttered.

"Are you sure we can't go in the piano room? Xing really wants to play..." I trailed off, moving closer to him until my legs bumped the front of the chair, trapping me from touching him directly. I could feel the heat of his body from how close we were, though.

I could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed nervously with his mouth slightly parted.

I was tempted to drop my hands down into his hair and straddle him, but that was taking it a bit too far. Plus, I didn't have the guts to do anything like that. It wasn't me.

"I'd also like to hear him play too," I said quietly.

"I-I..." His hands remained glued to himself, not moving an inch.

What was with him?

He would normally be the one to initiate physical contact with me, so what was so different now that had him hesitating? Was it because _I'm_ initiating it?

"So..." Wanting to test the waters, I dropped my hands down to his shoulders.

"O-okay," he said, reaching around me to get the key.

I smiled, stepping back from him. "I also have a favor to ask you," I said, feeling glad that he had given in before making me do anything else. I don't think I would have been able to.

He unlocked the drawer and opened it, grabbing out the set of keys. "What is it?"

"There's this song my brother used to play. Mom wrote it and taught him how to play it when he was younger. I was wondering if you could...possibly play it for me? Touya used to play it all the time for me before we moved from the house in Tomoeda. I haven't heard it since and..."

"Do you have the music sheet?" he asked, standing from his chair, towering over me now.

"Yes. It's in..." I stopped, seeing him move towards me, trapping me between the desk and his body.

"Don't try anything like that again," he said darkly before leaning down to close the gap between our lips, but the door opened before he could, unexpectedly.

"Daddy, what are you doing to Sakura?"

* * *

 **A/N: Ahh! Don't kill me for the cliffhanger, but I had to lol. The entire chapter got deleted, so I had to rewrite the entire thing. Luckily, it didn't take me too long to rewrite it. It was just getting around to writing it again that took so long. I'll try to get another chapter out for this story before the week is out! And, again, thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really do appreciate your support :).**

 **Also, though Sakura may seem like an easy girl to some of you here, she's not actually weak and easy. In the anime, she is very jumpy, nervous, and scary around Syaoran at first because he is very mean and rude to her in the beginning, which is how I wanted to keep them here. But, later on in the anime, she realizes that Syaoran isn't as mean as he makes himself out to be(you guys know this, I'm sure, but I'd just like to remind you guys). I'm not trying to majorly change the characters, so at the end of the day, Sakura will still end up being the stronger character with the bigger personality who melts Syaoran's heart away. Syaoran's character will slowly change into the loving wolf we all love too, just as it slowly changed in the anime when he started to realize how much he liked Sakura :).**


	21. The First Mistake

**"The First Mistake"**

* * *

I froze, keeping my body glued to Sakura's as Xing stood outside the door of my office, probably with that curious look on his face.

 _Fuck…_

I dropped my hands from her slowly, trying to stall as I thought of an explanation to give him. What _could_ I tell him? That I was about to demolish the only female he's taken a liking to aside from family? No way in this world would I ever do that.

My eyes traveled down, locking with Sakura's equally shocked eyes.

She did this, trying to come on to me like that. Had she done it on purpose? Was she _trying_ to persuade me into letting her get her way? She didn't even peg me as the type to do such a thing. I would be a fool to deny that I liked it, though.

"Daddy, you'll hurt her!" I heard Xing's voice sound a lot closer than I thought it was before feeling little hands grab at my pant legs.

I moved back from her, not knowing anything else to do.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Xing asked, looking up at her worriedly.

Sakura snapped out of it, looking down at him with a forced smile on her face. "Y-yeah, it was just…" The blush was still evident on her face, making me want to politely beg Xing to just give us a little more alone time.

"What was daddy trying to do? You were crushing her!" He pointed an accusing finger at me.

"I-I was not," I said, feeling like I got caught red-handed.

"Yes, huh. And, you were trying to give her a kiss on the lips!" he said; his face scrunching up in disgust before a mortified look crossed his face. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Sakura and I asked simultaneously in a panicked tone.

"Does that mean…" He stopped, looking between us. "You guys will be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Huh? When did he learn about _that_? _Where_ had he learned such a thing?

"O-of course not! D-daddy wasn't kissing me. H-he was just getting the keys and I happened to be in the way," Sakura explained, sounding like a stuttering mess.

Xing looked at me suspiciously, making me raise my hands up in defense. "W-what she said," I said, surprising myself.

I always had an explanation for things that happened—even if I lied on the spot, but this time, I had nothing. My mind was blank; something it never has been before.

"Daddy?" he questioned.

"Y-yeah. You see?" I held up the keys in my hand to show him. "She mentioned you wanted to play the piano and I was getting the keys, so we could all play," I explained.

Xing wrapped his arms around Sakura's body possessively, looking up at me shyly. "Really? You won't try to take her away from me?" he asked timidly.

 _Oh, that's what this is about…_

"Yeah, she wants to learn how to play a song her brother used to play, so I'll be teaching her how to play it," I said.

Sakura gasped, looking up at me, surprised. "Syaoran—"

"I insist. Learning how to play it yourself will make you feel better than hearing it," I said in a gentle tone.

Her brother had just passed away less than a year ago, so I could only imagine how she had been feeling. She didn't even have time to mourn his death properly, so I wanted to do something for her.

After she mentioned her brother and wanting to hear the song he used to play, I couldn't help but notice that he was a person who still occupied her mind a lot. His death was fresh, so of course she was still sad about it, but she always had a smile on her face, masking her sadness.

Masking her sadness with happiness would only get her so far, so I wanted to do something to help her. And, teaching her how to play the song was the first thing that came to mind after agreeing to play the song for her.

"You don't have to…" she said quietly.

"Rejecting a kind offer is very rude," Xing said.

Sakura looked at him, surprised to hear him say that, clearly.

 _Oh yeah, he's definitely my son._

"He's extending a helping hand and you're rejecting it. You'll make daddy very sad, won't she?" he asked, looking at me for support.

I nodded to coerce her into accepting my offer.

Sakura laughed softly, shaking her head. "Well, if you two continue insisting, then I guess I don't have a choice, huh?" she asked, smiling at me sadly.

Without thinking, I walked over to the two and kissed her forehead lightly. "No, you don't," I whispered against her skin.

Xing let out a disapproving sound, making me step back from her and ruffle his hair. The annoyed look left his face, being replaced with a pout. "You're messing up my hair," he complained, releasing Sakura so he could fix his hair.

I ruffled his hair again with a smile, making him chuckle as the pout left his face. "Dad," he whined, grabbing my hands.

I smiled a little, removing my hand from his messy hair. "Come on," I said, holding up the keys.

I guess the emails would have to wait until later.

* * *

"Maybe we should just forget this. This is clearly not my expertise," Sakura said in a discouraging tone.

"But, you can't give up, Sakura! I was just like you when I started playing, and Daddy always told me that I can't get frustrated and just have to practice to get better," Xing said, patting her back as he sat on the other side of her on the seat.

I smiled, remembering when Xing first started learning how to play the piano. He was barely three, as mother thought it would be a good idea to start him early. Because he was much younger, he cried and whined the entire time of his lessons because he couldn't get it. Thinking back on it, he didn't even know what it was. It was just an object that made noise to him, considering his young age. Everything about that process was complicated, but, not impossible.

Discipline, his tutor, and me were really the only thing that made him as good as he is today, honestly. It was very interesting seeing him try and help Sakura, even if it was just by encouraging her.

"Here, let me show you again," I said, gently taking her hands off the keyboard. I motioned her to scoot over so I could have room, which she did, pushing Xing over a little.

Looking at the music sheet in front of me, my fingers gracefully caressed the keys as I played the song slowly, so she could see what keys my fingers pressed, my posture, and the position of my hands.

I had to admit, it was a beautiful piece her mother had created. Quite advanced, which meant her mother had been a talented woman. Apparently, her brother too since he could play it as well.

When I finished playing the song again, I turned to her, only to see she had her eyes closed with a small smile on her lips. I cleared my throat to get her attention.

She opened her eyes, turning to me. "O-oh," she said, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

I smiled, adoring that look right now. At least she wasn't crying. "How about we call it quits for today? We can pick back up on it tomorrow?" I asked, raising a brow.

Xing gasped, leaning over so he could see me. "Will you really be home tomorrow after school?" Xing asked excitedly.

Seeing how happy and excited he sounded, I couldn't help but nod my head. "Yeah."

He climbed down from the bench and pumped his fist as he jumped up. "Yes! That means we get to spend more time together!" he exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "How about you play something for us now?" I asked him, letting my eyes fall on Sakura who's still sitting beside me quietly. "Sakura wanted to hear you play."

"Well…I don't know if I'll be gooder than you are, but…"

"Better," I corrected, making him blush. "And, you're right. You'll be just as good as I am."

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded. "Right, Sakura?" I asked her, to make him feel more comfortable playing for her.

"Of course!" she said, turning around to face him. "Come on, you promised to play for me."

Xing looked at me as if he were asking for my permission, so I nodded.

Sakura and I moved over so he could sit between us and have better access to the entire piano.

The Steinway piano was five times his side, so he looked like a little dwarf, trying to play it, but I knew he could. He had mastered the arts of piano the moment he learned the keys and gotten the hang of it. He was almost better than me, if I were being completely honest.

With his hands already on the piano, he turned to me with a nervous look on his face. "What should I play?" he almost whispered to me.

I smiled a little, ruffling his hair. "How about one of Paul de Senneville's piece?" I suggested.

Xing bit his bottom lip before nodding his head and sitting up straight, shoulders back as he positioned his hands over the piano.

A ghostly silence filled the room that if a pen were to drop, it could be heard. Concentration is what it was for him, though.

Until the melody started, drowning out everything around me besides the tune. With each key he pressed, the melody caressed my skin as if it were a person doing so.

Mariage d'Amour, a French name that translated to Marriage of Love in English. However, in Chinese it meant, Wedding in the Dream. The piece was meant to be played for a happy event even though it was in minor key, yet I felt Wedding in the Dream could fit the meaning better.

A marriage of love that _I_ never experienced.

It's not like I ever expected to marry for love, especially living in this family. No one who had the inheritance married for love and they all seemed to turn out just fine.

Mother certainly didn't marry for love and she seemed to be just fine. Father seemed fine with the idea of their marriage not being for love, which makes me often wonder if Meixia would have turned out like father; accustomed to the lifestyle of going home to a spouse whom they do not love.

I didn't have a problem with it, but it may have just been the fact that I've never been interested in love. I've never really had the desire to find a woman I love because I didn't think there was anyone out there who I could love so much that I would do _anything_ for her. I never had desires to have a kid, but I knew I would have to have one, one day to inherit the family's inheritance.

I never found any of that interesting, but now, I couldn't help but wonder if things would be different in life if I did.

"That was amazing!" I heard her voice exclaim as she clapped her hands.

When had he finished the piece?

"Thank you," Xing said bashfully, making me look at him. There was a blush on his cheeks as he smiled shyly.

"That was great, Xing," I said, smiling at him.

"Really?" he asked, sounding like he wanted my approval.

"Of course, it was. I'm so proud of you," I said, ruffling his hair.

Instead of pouting like he normally would, his face brightened up and a grin spread across his face. "I'm so glad that Sakura and Daddy liked it," he said, staring at the piano as if lost in thought.

It went completely silent after that for some reason.

I looked at him. "What's wrong?" I asked.

When he didn't say anything, I turned to him, making him look at me. "Buddy—"

"Huh?" he asked, looking confused now.

 _What?_

"Are you okay?" I asked again.

He nodded. "Yeah…I was just thinking…" He trailed off.

"About…?"

"I'm kind of hungry," he said, smiling at me now. "Is Ms. Hana coming today?"

"Uhh…I suppose so," I said, looking at Sakura who seemed to be just as confused as I was at the moment.

"Can I have a snack for right now until she gets back and then we could play outside in the backyard? Maybe…football?" he asked uncertainly.

Well, I had already thrown off my schedule by not responding to those emails earlier, so…

"Sure, why not," I said, smiling at him.

"Yes!"

* * *

"I need you to cancel my five o' clock meeting today," I said into the phone as my eyes scanned over one of the student's homework.

 _"Are you sure, Mr. Li? This meeting involves the investment in—"_

"I know what my meetings involve. Cancel it," I said before hanging the phone up before she could even respond.

She means well, but sometimes I didn't need her questioning my decisions. That's what annoys me the most.

Shaking my head, I continued to grade the homework assignment. I didn't want to get caught behind on grading already.

As soon as I finished grading the last assignment, my phone buzzed on the desk. I picked it up, looking at the text I had just received.

 **'Hey, I forgot to mention it this morning, but I have cheerleading practice today, so I won't be home early after school.'**

Sakura. Wasn't she supposed to be in class right now?

I glanced at the time, seeing that it was lunch hour. I did get here a little earlier today…

I texted back, **'How are you planning to get home?'**

When a message didn't come through ten minutes later, I realized that I was waiting by my phone for a text from her.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

I grabbed my phone and opened the drawer, putting it inside before closing it. Waiting by my phone for a _text_ from a girl? I had never done such a thing.

As soon as I finished grading the last assignment, my phone buzzed in the drawer. I took it out immediately, looking at the text I had just received.

 **'The bus,'** it read.

What? Was she being serious right now? She still didn't understand how much I was trying to keep her protected?

With a frown on my face, I stared at the text for a minute, trying to figure out what to say—no, _how_ to tell her no without being mean.

I didn't want to be rude to her, but she was such a stubborn girl. How could you possibly get through to someone who's as stubborn as her without being pushy?

With my fingers hovering over the keypads of the phone, I began to slowly type something in the phone before sending it.

A message came right after I sent the message.

 **'No, that's fine. You spend some time with Xing :). I'm heading to my next class, so I'll see you at 2.'**

The frown on my face was probably more evident because of her rejection. I had asked her nicely if she wanted me to wait around for her after school, yet she still rejected the offer.

So much for being nice to someone who didn't like to receive any help, right?

* * *

"Everyone did well on the homework for the most part. I know we went over the assignment in class last week, but are there any questions so far about anything?" I asked, standing in front of the classroom.

My eyes scanned the room, landing on Sakura in the back, who is looking directly at me. She was giving me her undivided attention.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see one of the other student's raise their hand, so I looked away, calling on the student.

Why was it so hard to concentrate on teaching when she was around?

"Uhh…I don't know if this is too personal, but are you currently seeing anyone?"

I looked at the student I had now come to remember as Mitsuki.

She was a pest and annoying as hell. Something just didn't sit well in my stomach about her.

Deciding to ignore her, I asked if there were any other questions.

Thankfully, someone else raised their hand and asked a question that was relevant to the class, which I answered with confidence.

After there were no more questions about the homework assignment, I moved on with the lecture.

During the entire class, I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting to the back of the classroom as I spoke on the fundamentals of business.

I couldn't help but wonder if anyone noticed—especially Daidouji, who kept catching my eye knowingly. Or, that's how it seemed.

I hadn't done anything to make her think that me and Sakura were involved...right?

Thankfully, time flew by faster than I thought it could have. I couldn't be happier when the bell rang, letting me and the students know that class was over.

"Make sure you review your notes when you get home. Class dismissed," I said.

I was glad when the students gathered their things and headed out. On Sakura's way out, I caught her eye, offering her a small smile.

My heart had this unfamiliar fluttering sensation when she returned the smile and winked at me. I smiled when the class emptied and gathered my things before heading out.

On the way to my office, I suddenly changed my mind and decided to pick Xing up earlier today. I had already cancelled that meeting, so I might as well go home...spend some time with him and then work from home.

I drove to his school, mind drifting back to Sakura, who's in practice right now with her—

 _Stop it right there, Xiao Lang!_

And, I did. I didn't let my mind wander down that road right now as I arrived at Xing's school.

When Xing caught my eye as I stood at the entrance of his classroom door, his face showed surprise. He jumped up and ran over to me. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, hugging my legs tightly.

I smiled a little, picking him up. "Hey, buddy."

"What are you doing here? H-how did you get here? I thought you had lots of work to do," he said, staring in my eyes. They appeared excited yet confused at once.

"I'm working from home today, plus, I wanted to see you," I said, ruffling his hair before placing him back on his feet.

He stared up at me with his mouth gaped. "Really?"

I nodded before telling him to get his things together. I turned to his teacher when he rushed to get his things. "How was he today?" I asked.

When her eyes met mine, she looked away shyly with a smile on her face. "Oh, he was great today. Matter of fact, he seemed extra happy and excited than normal. No fights or tantrums, so his day has been good," she explained.

I nodded before turning away from her. I didn't want to give her any false impressions. I didn't even want her to know that I knew she was ogling. "That's good. I signed him out in the front, so it should be alright for him to leave, right?" I asked.

"Yes, sir. He has homework," she said.

"Alright," I said in a dismissing tone that said I wasn't interested in continuing any further conversation unless it was necessary.

"I'm all ready, Daddy," Xing said, grinning up at me with his bag on his back.

I smiled, ruffling his hair and then grabbing his hand. "Let's go, kiddo," I said after nodding towards the teacher and leading him out of the room.

"Where's Sakura?" he asked as we walked down the empty hall.

"She's still at school, but we'll pick her up later," I said.

And then I remembered I had not told her this yet.

"Let's get home first and then maybe we could play some video games together," I suggested.

He gasped. "Really?" His voice rose in excitement. "We haven't played video games together in forever!" he exaggerated.

His forever's meant a few months or less.

"Video games it is then," I said.

Once we reached the car, I helped him inside and buckled him up in the car seat in the back. On the way home, he made sure to keep me entertained with his non-stop talking.

He actually reminded me of Sakura right now. Talking just because he could. She was definitely rubbing off on him.

As soon as I pulled up to the house, I turned to him with a smile on my face.

The entire 10 minute drive home, he didn't stop talking.

"Mhm," I said to something I didn't even know what he was talking about.

"And we all shared our crayons! He didn't get mad, I didn't get mad, and we were all happy!" he exclaimed.

I chuckled, turning the car off. "I'm glad you made up with Kaitou, Xing," I said before stepping out the car to help him out.

"Let's go inside to play video games now!" he said, running to the front door.

I shook my head, walking up to the door to unlock it, while he hopped up and down impatiently.

He ran inside the house before I could even open the door fully.

"Xing, you have to change first!" I called after him.

"I'm in my room!" he yelled.

I shook my head with a smile as I hung my keys up on the rack. I reached into my pocket, ignoring all the notifications and texts I had, going straight to Sakura's contact.

 **'Hey, want me to pick you up after practice?'**

After sending the text, I went to Xing's room, only to see he already had his clothes off, looking in his drawer for something to wear.

He turned to the door where I'm standing. He held up a green t-shirt. "Is this okay?"

I nodded.

He rummaged through the other drawer before holding up plaid shorts. "And this?"

I shrugged, nodding my head. It was just clothes, and he would just be sitting in the house all day.

He slipped the shorts on and got ready to run out of his room before I made a grunting noise, stopping him.

"What is it?" he asked.

I looked at the floor where his uniform lay. And then my eyes glanced around his entire room. "Pick up your uniform and we need to clean up this room," I said.

He groaned. "But, I thought we'd play video games," he said with a frown on his face.

"After we clean," I said shortly.

When he started picking up his things slowly, I started helping him clean the room to make things quicker.

That seemed to make him excited, as he started cleaning along with me faster.

Though I hated doing this kind of stuff because I've always been a little bit on the extreme neat side, for some reason, I didn't mind doing this.

I had never cleaned a room with him before because neither of us had to do it, really.

Back in Hong Kong, we typically had others cleanup for us. While Hana comes over to clean once or twice a week, I didn't see a need to have a maid here.

I know how to make my own bed and pick up after myself. I don't _have_ to do any of those things, but I'd prefer to do them myself since there wasn't much to do anyway.

But, Xing's room was a different story...

I never really came in here often, so I don't know how it typically looks, aside from a kid's room that has a lot of toys.

"All finished!" Xing exclaimed, holding his arms out as if he were presenting the room to me.

A small smile tugged at my lips, making me nod before a buzzing sound and feel in my pants made it drop. I took out my phone, looking at it, only to see that it was Sakura who had texted.

 **'Are you sure? I really can take the bus and get back just as safe.'**

Immediately, I sent a text saying, **'I'm sure. Call when you're finished.'**

"Video games now, Daddy?"

When I looked in his direction, I saw the pouty lips and beady look in his eyes. I shook my head with an amused look on my face, probably, before ruffling his head. "Yeah, come on."

* * *

"How was, uh...practice?" I asked the moment she closed the door to my car.

"It was great. We didn't do too much, since it's the first day. She mostly went over a few things about the semester and the work," she said before turning around to greet Xing. "Hi, buddy! How was your day?" I didn't even have to look at her to know she had a huge grin on her face. It could be heard in her voice.

"It was good! Daddy and I cleaned my room together for the first time and we played video games for the first time in a long, long time!" Xing exclaimed, sounding extremely excited.

Sakura giggled, making me glance over at her from the corner of my eyes briefly before focusing on the road again. "You and daddy cleaned?" she asked as if she could not believe that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, surprised to hear that Xing had asked at the same time.

She burst out laughing, making me frown slightly. "Pouting looks very cute on you," she said without thinking. I could just hear that she was just talking, yet the statement still made my cheeks warm with a blush.

"You guys don't clean. Or, I've never seen it before because Ms. Hana does all the cleaning when she comes over," she informed as if I didn't know that.

"We clean..." I said, trying to think of a time where I had decided to just clean.

"There's a difference between keeping your space clean versus cleaning. Like, you don't wash dishes regularly?" she asked.

"Yes—"

She giggled. "Putting dishes in a dishwasher doesn't count."

"Oh..." _I guess I didn't clean_. "Well, we can clean, right, Xing?" I asked, deciding to bring him in the discussion for backup.

"Of course! My room looks cleaner than everything in the whole wide world," he exaggerated.

I chuckled a little, shaking my head.

"Let me be the judge of that," she said. From the corner of my eye, I could see her sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

Xing burst out laughing, claiming that she wouldn't believe how clean it was.

The rest of the ride home was peaceful with small conversation.

As soon as we pulled up to the house, I informed Sakura and Xing that I'd be in my office until dinner to get some work done.

To my surprise, Xing didn't seem upset or sad about it. He just smiled and agreed, saying he would play with Sakura. I couldn't complain, so I nodded before sending a small, appreciative smile towards Sakura and then heading to my office.

I needed to get back on schedule and get my secretary on the phone.

* * *

"See? You're doing much better today!" Xing exclaimed as Sakura accomplished another part of the song.

She was doing better today. No expert, but she could get the first few keys right without mixing them up compared to yesterday.

Sakura smiled at Xing as a blush crept to her cheeks. "Thanks...It's because I have such great teachers," she said, catching my eye with a mischievous look in hers.

"That's all daddy! He even helped me become great like him," Xing said, grinning at me.

I could feel my cheeks warm a bit as I looked away from her. "Quit it," I said, annoyed, yet proud of myself because of the praise from the two.

As ironic as it sounds, I hate attention. Leader over 1,000's of people, hates attention being put on him.

I had never been one to like attention, even as a child. I never had friends in grade school. Not because I couldn't, but I just never found interest in it.

Unless a person forced themselves in my circle, that was the only way I'd ever communicate on an acquaintance level with them.

It was nothing good to brag about, but it was just something I'd noticed about myself over the years. I thought it would have changed over the years as I aged, even having been married before, but I still felt the same way about friends.

Well, that is, before Sakura came into our lives...

Sakura giggled, standing from the bench, stretching.

My eyes immediately landed on the curves of her body; the arch in her back, all the way down to her round perk ass.

Whatever made me think she had absolutely nothing, was the biggest lie ever told, according to the jeans and fitted blouse she has on right now.

She didn't have the biggest breasts, but they certainly weren't small. I knew this, though. I had seen her in a swimsuit a few days ago, so I saw that she wasn't small.

Quite frankly, I couldn't tell if I was seeing her differently now than I had when she first got here.

 _Of course you are, moron._

"Are you okay, daddy?" a little voice snapped me out of my stupor.

I snatched my eyes away from her ass, looking at Xing. "Y-Yeah," I stuttered, hoping he had not seen what I was staring at like a pervert.

"Sakura asked if she could cook dinner tonight and you didn't answer," he said, frowning.

"Oh, uh," I looked up at her with a questioning look on my face. "You don't have to do that. Ms. Hana could."

"I know, but I promised I'd cook for you—Uh, the both of you, if you played the piano for me, remember? Besides, it's been a minute since I've been in the kitchen to cook a proper meal, so I think it'd be fun," she explained, smiling at me.

I looked at her uncertainly. Not because I didn't want her to, but because I didn't want to make her feel like she _had_ to do anything. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Ms. Hana could just come and help out, if that's what you're worried about. I don't mind," she said.

"Well..." I looked at Xing who seemed enthused about, so I said, "If you're insisting, okay."

"Yes!" Xing jumped from the seat too with Sakura. "Can I help you guys?"

"Of course," Sakura said, grinning at him.

My cheeks warmed, yet again, at that sight.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"Yay!"

"Ms. Hana should be here any minute now, so let's go to the kitchen and prepare everything before she does," Sakura said, ushering him out of the seat.

She turned towards me with a curious look on her face. "Is there anything specific you want? I've never made any Chinese dish before, but I can follow along a cookbook," she said.

I swallowed, standing from the seat. "U-uh! A-anything is fine with me," I said.

Damn it, I thought I omitted stuttering from my vocabulary.

She raised a brow with a smile on her face. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I said.

She grinned. "Great! We'll be in the kitchen if you need anything," she said, sending me one last smile before leaving the room after Xing.

I honestly didn't know what to do, except work, so...I headed to my office to attempt to get more work done.

I had cut my work time short again, wanting to spend time with these two.

What the hell, Xiao Lang…

* * *

"Oishiii!" Xing exclaimed, stuffing his face with the food.

I smiled, using my chopsticks to eat more of the oyakodon Sakura had made tonight.

It actually taste good. I had taste many oyakodon dish before, but there was something different about this one.

"It's a secret ingredient, only my dad and I know about," Sakura said, as if she could read my mind.

I looked at her, nodding my head. "It taste delicious," I said once I swallowed the rest of it down.

A blush crept to her cheeks and she grinned at me. "It's all my dad," she said.

Our eyes never left each other's as I said, "But, you made it."

"Well, thank you," she said bashfully.

"Hey, I said it first!" Xing said.

We looked away from each other as if our trance had been broken.

"Of course I'm glad you like it too," Sakura said, winking at him.

He blushed, giggling at her gesture. "You're the bestest cooker ever!" he exaggerated, as usual.

I smiled, shaking my head before eating more of her dish.

When we finished dinner, we helped Xing with his homework, which didn't take very long. He was quite advanced for his age, so he caught on to things faster than normal.

As soon as we finished his homework, Sakura volunteered to put him in the bath, which I argued to do. And, it just ended with us having a small banter about who would do it.

In the end, I let her do it after she said that I had the opportunity to spend time with him when she was in cheer practice.

The banter caught me off guard when it first happened, yet it seemed so...natural.

Normally, it would seem like she was always insinuating that I needed to spend time with him. But this time, she said she wanted to. And then, followed up with telling me that I could put him to bed, which I was doing right now.

"Where's Sakura?" Xing asked with a frown on his face.

I smiled, shrugging my shoulders as I sat on the chair beside his bed. "I'm putting you down tonight. Is that a problem?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "Of course not! That makes me happy too," he said.

"So, are we reading your favorite book tonight?" I asked, reaching over into the bookshelf, finding the 'love you forever' book.

Xing shook his head. "Well, it's still my favorite book," he said, once he saw the curious look on my face.

"What is it, then?"

"It's just, me and Sakura have a new book that we like to read together," he said, smiling.

"And what book is that?" I asked, feeling amused by this new information.

As far as I was concerned, he never wanted to read anything else aside from the book his mother always read him. Now that had changed? Since when?

"This one," I heard that melodious voice behind us.

I looked towards the door, only to see Sakura standing with a green book held up in her hand.

"The Giving Tree?" I read.

"It's a really great book! Sakura told me all about the meaning of the book," Xing exclaimed.

I motioned with my head for her to come in with us. She sat on the edge of the bed on the opposite side of where I am.

Xing scooted over and then pat the bed beside him. "Come on, daddy, so you can read it with us," he said.

Without much thought into my next actions, I sat on the edge of the bed beside him, so he could be cradled between us.

Xing took the book from Sakura and opened it to the first page. "I guess you guys could take turns and I'll just listen, but once you guys finish, I'll tell you what the story means," he said.

I raised a brow, looking over at Sakura with a questioning look on my face.

She smiled, nodding her head, as if she were telling me that this happens every night they read the book.

"Daddy can go first since Sakura always goes first," Xing instructed as if he were some leader over a group of people.

I snorted before reading the first page. And we went from there, until the very end, which Xing had tears in his eyes.

I could feel the panic rising in my chest. "What's wrong?" I asked, wrapping my arm around his back.

He sniffed, shaking his head. "I'm not sad. It's just, I'm so happy that the little boy came back in the end for the tree," he said with a smile on his face.

"Hmm?"

"I told you that you can't cry, Xing," Sakura said, wiping his face.

I stared at him for a moment, wondering if this was a routine between them. It had to be.

"What makes you so happy?" I asked.

"It's...the book. The tree is a very, very nice tree...always giving what it can, right?" He looked to Sakura for confirmation, which she gave with a nod. "It gives everything it can until it has nothing left to give the little boy...and then, in the end, the tree wants to give more, but it can't!"

For a moment, I started to think he was sad and angry about this. I looked at Sakura, questioning what the hell was going on.

"But, Sakura always tells me that...the tree is like you..." he said quietly. "So, I love the book, because you **_do_** give me everything I ask for...all these toys, this awesome room...food...ice cream..." he trailed off.

I couldn't move, surprised to hear this coming from _my_ son's mouth. I know he could be bratty sometimes, but what kid wasn't? I just didn't think he was...this capable of...sounding so grateful at this age.

"And, you always tell me that you do everything for me...even keeping Sakura here, so I...one day, I want to grow up and be able to come back home and do something for you," he said quietly. "Right, Sakura? Isn't that what it means?" he asked, looking at Sakura for confirmation.

She smiled, caressing his hair. "Right," she said.

I swallowed, nodding my head, not sure what the hell to say.

Sakura leaned over and kissed his forehead before whispering goodnight to him. When she looked at me, I took the hint and did the same and tucked him in.

"Daddy," he called, stopping me.

I turned around, looking at him. "Yes, buddy?"

When he sat up, I walked back in the room, closing the door behind me. I sat in the chair, leaning forward on my knees. "What is it?"

"It's just...Sakura's so nice...and, I don't ever want her to leave," he said quietly.

This wasn't the first time he had said this. Hell, not even the third. He had said this multiple time, but this time...

This time, something felt different about it. _I_ felt different about it. I felt like I could...relate to him.

But I knew there was no point in indulging in this newfound feeling. This wasn't either of our choices to make, and it never would be.

Instead of telling him she would not be staying with us forever, I said, "I don't either."

He sighed, laying back down on the bed. "I love you, daddy," he said, closing his eyes with a smile on his face.

"I love you too," I said quietly.

After watching him for a moment, I noticed his breathing become even, so I decided to leave the room.

Glancing down at the clock, I saw that it was only 8:30 and Sakura had the tv on in the living room.

I walked to the living room, only to see her staring at the screen. Clearing my throat, I caught her attention before sitting down beside her on the couch, keeping a safe distance between us. "You don't mind me sitting with you, right?"

She looked at me, shaking her head with a smile on her lips. "Of course not. Nice company is better than being alone."

 ** _I'm_** nice company?

My cheeks warmed as I looked at the tv to distract myself from letting my thoughts get too far ahead of themselves.

"You know, if that made you uncomfortable back there, then—"

"Sakura," I called, stopping her right there before she could get any further with that sentence.

She looked at me, emerald eyes widened.

God, they were so mesmerizing...

"Uh...you know..." _Stop staring like an idiot and talk!_ "Back there...that was very nice of you. I didn't know that you guys were..."

"Well, he always chose the same book every night, which you know. I just...I asked if he wanted to read a different one and he just, out of nowhere, wanted to read that one. And, I remembered the book, so..." she trailed off with a smile.

"Why?" I asked without thinking. "Why are you...so good?"

She shrugged, laying back against the couch. "My dad was...good. Everything about him inspired me to be like him. I guess it just kind of comes naturally. But, I think that everyone could be a good person," she said.

"I know. That's why I asked _why_ ," I said, putting emphasis on the question again.

"Oh...I don't know. I just..." She looked at me and smiled bashfully, which made me blush like an idiot. She laughed, shrugging again. "I don't know how to answer that. No one ever really asks why a person is nice, you know. That was a first."

I looked at her, feeling a small frown tug at my lips. "Do others take advantage of you?"

Her brows scrunched together as if she were deep in thought about the question before the muscles in her face relaxed. "It's happened in the past several times, but I know how to handle certain situations now," she said slowly.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Like...the landlord at the last place I stayed. You ended up showing up, but...I did say some things that could have been taken out of context. I didn't think of it that way, but...you know," she said, laying back against the couch so she didn't have to look me in the eyes anymore.

Did this conversation make her uncomfortable?

"Is this a touchy topic?" I asked, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.

"Oh, no. I just feel...a bit embarrassed because of how stupid I was at the time..."

After putting two and two together, I realized what had happened that day before I'd shown up and stopped the bastard from hurting her. "You weren't stupid and that wasn't your fault. You didn't know that bastard was sick. You were just trying to do what you had to do," I defended on her behalf. Why did I even feel riled up by this situation still? It happened about a month ago, yet I still felt angry at the thought of the scenario.

She sighed, looking at me as she leaned her head against her hand. "Thank you, but I still think I should've been more careful, which I know now, so it won't happen again. You don't have to feel obligated to protect me, you know. I'm capable of living on my own just fine," she said, not sounding the least bit offended that I was trying to.

"I—"

"You're just like my brother and father at times. They were always protective of me. My brother, more than normal, but...you're almost on his level," she said.

"Who's going to keep you safe then?" I asked, not putting much thought into the meaning of that question or her statement.

I did want to protect and keep her safe. I don't know why yet, but I just did.

"I don't know. Me?" she asked, laughing softly.

"When you're incapable of doing so, though?"

"There will be something to keep me safe. There's always something," she said.

I didn't want to think about what something is. I just wanted it to be me.

"Well, let me be that something right now," I said without thinking.

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable," she said.

"So, I've been told," I said sarcastically.

She giggled. "You know...Xing talks about your family a lot."

I raised a brow. "What about them?"

"Just anything. I know of Meiling, the _annoising_ one, as he likes to put it," she said with a giggle.

I snorted. "She is annoying."

"How many sisters do you have? He just says he has a lot of aunties."

"There's four. They're quadruplets, and older than me. They're…irritating sometimes too, but not so much as Mei-Ling," I said thoughtfully.

"How so?" she asked, sounding interested to know more.

"They're clingy and think...everything's 'cute'," I said, shuddering at the thought of them harassing me when I was younger. "They're good people, overall, though."

"That's good. I just had Touya, which you already know...but he was mean. He always picked on me and called me every mean name in the book, but his favorite was..." She clenched her fist, groaning as if she were thinking about it. "It made me so angry every time that I don't even want to say it. I really miss him..."

The mood in the room shifted immediately, letting me know that her mood had dropped.

Without thinking, I slid a little closer to her and opened one of my arms for her.

She looked at me for a moment with wide eyes.

I swallowed, not sure what I could say to make her take the hint. I was trying to comfort her without telling her I was trying to. "Come here," I said in a gentle tone instead.

When she looked me in the eyes for a moment, my cheeks warmed, and I thought she might just say no. But she didn't.

Slowly, she moved over into my arm as she curled her body towards mine.

My heart almost burst out of my chest from its fast and hard beating. I pulled her closer to me, letting my hand rest on her bare arms. Her soft, smooth skin...

 _Stop it right there, Xiao Lang. You're comforting her, not seducing._

I caressed her skin gently before kissing the top of her head as she rest her face against my chest. "I don't understand how you feel, because I've never lost a sibling, but I have lost several people in my life who were important," I said quietly.

"Xing's mother?" she asked softly before wrapping her right arm around my stomach.

All the muscles in my body tensed when she clutched my side gently, causing a warm sensation to spread throughout my entire body. This was a first for me.

She unconsciously, I think, rubbed up and down my side, making me relax under her weight.

"She was the mother of my child, so I guess...but she's not who I was referring to," I said.

She looked up at me, resting her chin on my chest. All I had to do was make one movement and our lips would meet, but I couldn't do that at a time like this.

"Who, then?" she asked quietly.

"A cousin whom I'd considered a brother in my life several years ago," I said, rubbing up and down her arms slowly as my mind drifted back to the years me and Chen had spent together.

He would often come over when our parents had business to tend to together while we were kids. Already being a loner, Chen had wanted to be the first person to come in my life and change that. While he didn't change my mind about the whole idea of friendship like Sakura, he still made a difference in my life.

"Just different family members too," I said, not wanting to go into details about anything. "I miss them sometimes, but realize I have to live on and not dwell on missing them because it won't get me anywhere positive mentally."

She let out a small humming sound. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I try not to think about it much, but when certain things come up, I can't really help it..."

For some reason, I couldn't help but feel that this was the first time she had ever talked to anyone about this.

"Have you talked with anyone about your brother since...?" I was trying to be considerate of her feelings since last time she seemed upset about me saying that her brother was dead.

"No."

I squeezed her arm gently. "Why not? I'm sure you know that talking about things would make you feel better," I said.

"I do, but...I just don't want others to worry about me, you know. Tomoyo already has things to worry about, and she's really the only person I could talk to about anything like that..."

I pulled her back gently, so she could look at me. "And me? You know you can come to me when anything's bothering you, right?"

 _Since when?_

"I..."

"I would never turn you away about anything you're feeling."

 _Again, since when?_

I wanted to punch the hell out of my conscious, questioning my every promise to her. I didn't know when that had changed, but it was different now.

"I don't want to worry—"

"You won't. Just let me do what I can for you," I said.

She smiled at me sadly before leaning up to kiss my cheek.

My face almost melted, feeling her soft lips caress my skin. She pulled back, biting that damn lip I wanted between mine. And she chooses to be shy at a moment like this.

I needed to control myself…

"Thank you, Syaoran. I don't know how I could ever repay you one day for your kindness," she said.

"You don't have to," I said immediately.

"I know. I want to, though," she said.

"S-so, you'll come to me?" I asked, deciding to change the subject. I didn't feel comfortable with her feeling this way. She didn't need to feel obligated to repay me for anything _I_ wanted to do.

She smiled at me before laying her head back on my chest and letting her hand move down to my stomach.

I stiffened, not sure how to react to her sudden touch. Well, my stupid body knew how to react. I had never been grateful for the dark denims for holding down the painful erection I have right now.

"I'll try," she said, letting her hand slide up from my stomach to my chest slowly.

"S-Sakura," I called weakly. I don't even think she knows what she's doing to me.

"Hmm?" she answered innocently.

Fuck, she didn't know.

"I-if you keep touching me like that, I don't know what I'll try to do to you," I warned.

Her fingers froze over my nipple over my shirt. Her face was probably beat red with that beautiful blush.

I wanted to see the look myself.

"I-I... sorry," she said, just letting her hand wrap around me again.

I smiled a little, feeling relieved she had not let me go yet.

A comfortable silence fell in the room, so I just stared at the quiet television. There was a cartoon playing on the screen that Sakura had not bothered to change when she came in here earlier.

When I felt her breathing become even and quiet, I knew she had fallen asleep. I glanced at the clock, seeing that it was past nine. And I couldn't bring myself to wake her up.

 _Damn it._

I kissed her head again, deciding to wake her up later on in the night before it got too late.

* * *

Soft hands, a light weight, and the smell of cherry blossoms was the first thing my senses detected the moment my body woke from its slumber.

I shifted under the weight on my body as my eyes began to open slowly. The first encounter my eyes met was a lightening blue flashing in the dark room from the television playing.

Didn't I get into bed last night?

I shifted under the weight again, only to realize my arms were wrapped securely around a soft body as that weight took a deep breath.

I looked down, seeing that Sakura was laying directly on top of me, still fast asleep. I had somehow shifted to lying on my back, and she was laying directly on top of me with one of my legs propped up as she rest comfortable between my legs. Sighing, my eyes scanned the room, looking for a clock.

How did I fall asleep after saying I would wake her?

 _Fuck._

I didn't want to move to wake her, but I didn't want Xing to wake up and see us like this either. I surely wouldn't be able to answer his questions.

"Sakura," I called quietly, letting my hands slide up her body to her shoulders. I squeezed them gently before realizing I didn't want her to get up yet. I wanted to keep her here with me like this. But, my senses came to me before I could reason why I wanted to keep her in my arms.

"Sakura," I called again, shaking her gently.

She let out a soft moan, shrugging my hand away as she snuggled closer to my body.

I smiled a little, starting to realize that she really wasn't a morning person. "Sakura," I called again, but not making a move to shake her.

"Hmm..."

Was she awake?

"You have to get up," I whispered.

She shifted, which created friction against my already hard morning wood.

 _Just great._

Before my natural instincts to use her body to get off on kicked in, I sat up from our lying position, making her body slide down mine.

Damn it, that felt great.

I was not about to take advantage of a sleeping person, though.

Sakura let out a groan, sitting up from her uncomfortable lying position on top of me now since I was sitting up.

When her eyes slowly opened, they met mine, making me freeze in my spot.

It took her a while to register the fact that she was sitting directly on my legs, which was starting to get very uncomfortable.

Her mouth opened, yet nothing came out of it.

"Don't freak out," I said before she could panic and assume anything in her head. "We just...slept. That's it."

She closed her mouth and swallowed before rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a disheveled mess, which looked oddly adorable.

She still had not said anything, though. That was starting to make me wonder. And my legs were slowly dying.

I lifted my legs slightly, along with her body, to let her know the discomfort I was starting to feel.

As if she noticed, she gasped and lifted up on her knees.

"I hope I didn't hurt you..." she said timidly.

I smirked, grabbing her arm gently to pull her body towards me so she could straddle my thighs on the couch. I pushed her down to sit directly on top of my erection. After taking one glance at the clock, I saw it was past five, which meant that Xing wouldn't be up for a few more minutes.

"W-What are you doing? It's too early for this," she whispered, looking towards the hall behind us where Xing's room is.

"It's how we've been all night, though," I said, wrapping my arms around her waist loosely.

She blushed, looking at me. "On accident...I didn't—"

"I'm not complaining about it," I said. "I'm just saying...it's no difference from last night."

She sighed, relaxing on my lap now. "I guess not..." she said, looking me in the eyes. "I would expect myself to feel a lot more awkward than this right now, but I don't."

"Why's that?" I asked, moving one of my hands to her hair to caress the soft strands.

"I don't know..." she said, sounding honest about it. This was one of the things I admired about her; she didn't mind speaking her mind.

I couldn't tell if it was her or me, but our faces were somehow getting closer to each other's as our eyes remained lock.

Just when our lips were centimeters apart, I heard the slightest bit of movement, making me stop our lips from meeting. She seemed to have heard it too because she pulled back and sighed.

"You should get more rest while you can," I said quietly.

She nodded, climbing off my lap. I stood up with her, keeping some distance between us. We really needed that right now.

"Are you going to sleep?" she asked, looking up at me.

"No. I'm going to take my morning run. I skipped yesterday," I said.

She nodded, yawning while covering her mouth. "Okay. I'm going to head out," she said, already walking to her room.

I smiled a little, shaking my head before I headed to my own room to change into my workout clothes.

After that, I had my morning run and workout routine at the gym. By the time I got back to the house, Xing was just getting up, which I suspected. I didn't know about Sakura, though.

I took a quick shower before heading to his room and getting him ready for school.

He was oddly calm this morning, considering he's always hyper in the mornings. I just brushed his change of behavior to the side. Kids were the most confusing beings alive. Possibly more than adults.

"Where's Sakura?" he asked as he ate his cereal.

"She's—"

"Right here," Sakura interrupted, walking in the kitchen with us.

My eyes landed on her, seeing her fully dressed and ready for school with her bag on and all.

"You aren't going to eat anything?" I asked, raising a brow.

She shrugged, walking further in the kitchen to look in the cabinets. She grabbed a bar, tore the package, and took a bite from it. "I'm not really a breakfast type of person," she said.

I was glad she still ate something to satisfy my odd worrying for her well-being.

"Why's that?" I asked, staring at her.

"Yeah, Daddy says that eating breakfast will make you have a great day! You'll be strong, smart, and happy to start your day," Xing chimed in, making me smile at his assertion.

"It's just...I don't know. I haven't really had a proper breakfast since Touya. We would normally take turns cooking, like we used to with my dad," she said.

I looked to the chair beside me, motioning her to sit and eat.

She shook her head, leaning against the counter and taking another bite from the bar. "We should head out, shouldn't we?" she asked.

I glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing it was getting late. "She's right. Hurry up and finish eating your food Xing, so we can go."

Xing nodded and continued to eat his cereal.

When he finished, we headed to his school first, as usual.

The moment I got ready to take him out of the car, my personal phone began to ring. I looked at the caller id and sighed before turning to Sakura. "Hey, do you mind signing Xing in today while I take this call?" I asked.

She smiled, nodding her head. "Come on, Xing," she said, unbuckling her seat.

I swiped across my phone when it rang again. "Is anyone dead?" I asked in my native language.

 _"Do you have to be an asshole?"_

"What's with the random call, Meilin?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

She rarely ever called, even if it was just to check in on me. I had gotten her in check a few years ago after she insisted on calling every day to "check in." More like spying.

 _"What are you doing?"_ she asked, sounding suspicious.

"What?" I asked, hearing the confusion in my own tone.

" _You canceled all your meetings yesterday. Why?"_ she asked.

"You're **_stalking_** me now?" I asked, starting to feel annoyed now.

 _"No, I'm trying to stay ahead of the game before Auntie Yelan does. You know she'll wonder why you canceled those important meetings yesterday if she were to find out about it,"_ she said.

"Those meetings weren't _that_ important. I'll call one today, if it'll get you guys off my ass. Besides, they're just meetings discussing a new project for the company," I said, knowing my voice showed her my annoyance.

I know she meant well, but I still hate when others pry into _my_ business.

I heard her sigh in the phone. _"Those are important—"_

"Who's the spy you have in my building?" I asked after realizing she was not here to see anything. Normally, if I were in Hong Kong, she worked in the office, so she would see firsthand what was going on. She wasn't here in Tokyo with me, though.

 _"Just be careful and more cautious, okay? You know auntie would look into this strange behavior of yours if she weren't away with the elders. I'm just watching out for you,"_ she said.

I sighed.

 _This is what I get for always doing everything perfect in this goddamn family._

"I'll make sure she doesn't find out about it. Just keep your mouth closed about it when they get back," I said before hanging up.

The opposite side of the car opened, making me look in the direction. "Sorry it took so long. They were giving me a hard time because I wasn't on the list," Sakura said, laughing nervously.

I frowned. "I'm to blame for that. I'll get that fixed the next time I take him in," I said.

"Is everything alright? You look a bit tense," she commented.

I turned the car on before pulling out of the school parking lot. "Yeah. Just...my cousin calling to annoy me," I said, deciding to be honest with her.

She giggled. "That sounds harsh."

"If you meet her, you'll understand what I mean."

"Is it Meilin? Xing talks about her a lot and how you think she's annoying," she said.

I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes before keeping my eyes on the road. "The one and only."

"Wow. I'm very interested in meeting her now," she said, actually sounding interested in meeting her.

"You won't be once you do," I said under my breath, making her giggle.

The rest of the ride to her school was peaceful and quiet.

Once I saw her school come into view, I glanced at the clock, seeing that I had five minutes to kill. I pulled to the side of the road a few blocks down, away from any eyes or cars.

"What are...you doing?" she asked, raising a brow at me.

My jaw clenched, unsure of how I could say what I wanted to ask for. I never did things like this. In fact, this idea had never even came to mind before. I don't know what it could have been. Maybe it was the fact that we spent the night with our bodies pressed together, or the fact that it was Sakura—I don't know, but I was on edge this morning. More than normal.

I put the car in park after looking around, making sure no one was around before turning my attention back to Sakura. My eyes fell down to her slightly parted lips.

As if she noticed, her breath caught in her throat and she closed her mouth and swallowed. "H-here?" she questioned.

I shrugged, looking around again. "The windows are slightly tinted, so no one would see unless they're looking hard enough," I said.

She bit her lip lightly as her cheeks colored. She wanted to, yet she made no move to initiate anything. Would she ever initiate anything?

And then I remembered the other day when she made a move to convince me to let them use the piano room. _That_ was a side of her I did **not** expect. I would damn sure be lying if I said I didn't like it.

She swallowed, leaning towards me slightly, but not close enough.

We only had...four minutes now, so I didn't have much time to wait, so I leaned over, grabbing the back of her head to pull her towards me, so our lips could connect.

I was gentle, though I wanted to devour her mouth to show her how much torture she had me in since she arrived. I tried to keep it short and simple, but the moment I felt her teeth tug at my bottom lip, I deepened the kiss, and clutched her hair a little tightly.

Her tongue slid past my lips when my mouth parted slightly. The discomfort in my slacks increased as her tongue explored my mouth. My hand slid down to her neck, caressing the back of it before moving to caress her cheek.

When her hand moved over to my hair, I pulled back from the kiss, not wanting us to go too far. I was on a thin line these days, so I didn't know how much I could take before trying to go all the way. In this car or not.

"U-uh...I think we should stop here before I **can't** stop anymore," I said, staring at her blushing face.

She licked her lips, looking down at something on my face. "Yeah...you're right," she said quietly.

Right about what? About me needing to stop before I can't stop, or her not being able to stop either? I couldn't ask her that.

Clearing my throat, I put the car in drive and then drove up to the school building to drop her off.

"Have a good day," I said, smiling at her a little.

She reached in the back to grab her bag before turning to me with a smile on her thoroughly kissed lips.

 _Goodness, did we **have** to stop?_

"Thanks. You too," she said, and then opened the door to hop out the car. She waved at me one last time before walking off to the building.

I released the breath I didn't even know I was holding.

I was in deep shit.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hello, everyone!**_

 _ **I want to say that I have the most unfortunate life ever, but I'm not going to go into details about everything going on, as it is too much and very personal. Just know that I'll try to get updates out as much as I can, even with the things going on irl! Thank you guys so much for the love and support, because that is really what pushes me to continue writing and posting my stories here!**_

 _ **I'm going to try and have at the least(meaning, there may be more) two more updates before the year is out on this story and for my other story too! :)**_

 _ **P.S, there's going to be a LOT of drama following in the next chapters, because it's time to spice things up in this story(like it hasn't been time to for the last ten chapters hahaha *sarcasm*) ;P.**_

 _ **Ja ne!**_


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